Socialist Press no. 38

EPS Workers Condemn T&GWU Collaboration

PARTICIPATION

MEANS

By decision of the Cars Council - highest body in the British Leyland Ryder participation structure - the entire Leyland contract is to be withdrawn from the Export Packing Services factory at Chipping Warden, near Banbury.

The withdrawal of this con- tract - over half the work of the to: plant - immediately threatens 400 jobs and must lead to the closure of the factory. The response to this was im- influence mediate. Nearly half of the 1,000 T&GWU members on the plant (which packs export components for the car industry) travelled last Wednesday in coaches to Cowley through the marched 9181 Cal committees factories behind the slogans "Must unionist Participation Mean EPS Extermin- ation?" and "Ryder Out, Nation- British alisation In".

IMPACT

against these After the march, which had a big on workers in the impact plants who came out to Cowley moth it a mass picket on kers

EPS

workers mounted a mass Cowley factory gates. seeks The previous day they had sent and had picket over visited the 5/55 T&GWU branch.

controlled 5/60 Conley Body Plant Branch and the and wages. they had been refused admission the basis that a two-thirds on majority vote was needed to let them in! EPS delegation - the used to An to T&GWU District Office was then told by David District Buckle, member of the certainly -Secretary, (and

T&GWU

5/60 Branch) that the Ryder KD that the supported convenors the plant in Cowley packing) involved in participation, and that of the participation the policy "in source" committees was to defend work.

REAL FACE

This is the real face of "parti When the scheme was cipation agreed by hand-picked convenors 31TnP plush Alesley hotel in Coventry last August we head- lined the demand: "NO PARTI- taryship

CIPATION IN MANAGEMENT"

Our lead article went on to say

SOCIALIST

PRESS *

SACKINGS-

that the aim of participation was "...integrate and convenors shop stewards into the structure and use their to achieve rationalisa- tion, speed-up and redundancy."

We went on to stress the need for all-out opposition: "The Workers Socialist League is completely opposed to these any trade them. We working on believe that as battles begin in and Chrysler Leyland against redundancy and in defence of conditions they will be fought committees. therefore a matter of principle to e separated from then "he powerful response of EP workers to the lead given by the shop stewards committee demon- strates that while the bureaucracy sion of the collaboration with the employers, there is a willingness in the working class to fight every attack by the Labour government employers against jobs wages. Gormley's fighting on

EXTEND

further, and the miners' be This strength must now and 1974 extend the campaign. 1971 "we seem to be placed on the Demands must mill, still? " running trade union officials - who almost have been involved Behind the cones mething of tre before EPS workers were move - to refuse to allow work to Gormley be withdrawn into the Leyland factories, creating sackings fits instead. The task of union officials is to Yorkshire the whole of their membership, not to play off one decision section of workers against another order, or ore nise same time dees.

method of the same time demands must be placed firmly on the lead- pointed ing trade union members of the by both Hitler and Mussolini.

Cars Council. These include right- The wing Cowley Body Plant convenor endorsed the Bill Roche, (who shares the secre- executive bi with management) and This means Communist Party Stalinist Derrick tive has had Cont'd back page, col 4.

FORTNIGHTLY PAPER OF THE

WORKERS SOCIALIST LEAGUE

NO 38 * 14th JULY 1976 * 10p

DOLE

WE DO ANT

KEEP

LEYLAND

ALIVE

E.P.S.

WHILE

THE BOOTING

P THe RIDER REPORT

NOW II!

PAY 'OUT OF ORDER" - SAY

NUM BUREAUCRATS

At the miners' union con- excluded. In fact when Arthur Scargill, ference last week, the Exec- Yorkshire area president, started utive took the logical conclu- to attack the right wing over the wage-cutting £6 deal he was ordered off the TUC deal with the Labour platform by Gormley. government. They ruled "out

PROTECTED

of order" any discussion on In this way argument against protected against were wages went even

CHECISE

COLCOLCE

implicitly attacked the chance to draw the lessons of pay strikes of 1972 period of wage-cuttting, the last by saying that since and any discussion of alternative be on a tread. policy was excluded. like hell to As a smokescreen to cover up for the fact that their manoeuvres had almost made the conference

FRINGE BENEFITS

redundant, the right-wing Nottinghamshire argued it would be ution calling for retirement at 60 better to fight for fringe bene- by January 1977 - leading on to retirement at 55 by 1980.

Tom delegate, This resolution also called for yet another ballot of the member- Meision to rule theages debate attacking ship to determine "which course described of industrial action shall be taken repeated to bring this matter to a success- "government by referendum" ful conclusion" out this device was used

UNANIMOUS

conference eventually decision of the resolution was 145 votes to 128. unanimously, and has forced even that only the execu- Callaghan to the right to discuss "special case of the miners, while wages - the conference has been

MUST PARTICIPATION.

MEAN E.P.S.

XTERMNATION

of course referring to the ecor omic crisis. America at 55 pe most miners already retir Whatever manoeuvres aTe follow on this demand, it becam quite clear at the conference th there is a backlash against th bureaucratic actions of Gormle and Daly - even with the confe the leadership ence stacked against the militar any areas, with Yorkshire having le was denied than one-tenth of the delegat having a quarter of th while NUM membership.

FAILURE

A resolution was passed from on, Thursday closed session moved a resol- 166 votes to 107 which "criticise union leaders for failing to imp.

ment conference decisions" This must be followed up the pursuing early demand, and by the building of alternative leadership in the NU challenge the domination to the right wing. More industrial news o passed pages 10 and 11. speak about the

LABOUR "BLIND" LEBANON

Page 7

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

IN THE NAME OF HUMANITY.

SPARE OUR MERCENARIES!

SOME

GORGAN

LABOUR

'LEFTS'

TO SANCTION

BUSTING

The connections of Princess

UNITA

Angola which tried to defeat the national Alexandra's family with busi- liberation struggle led by the MPLA ness scandals and the resignat- and that he is currently in contact ion of her husband, Angus with the Zimbabwe Nationalist Ogilvy, from his many lucra- tive directorships, are not the emerge from Kowianas only things to the Lonrho affair. Widespread 'sanction busting in Rhodesia, and the shipment of arms PuDusIIca LU equipment to South and military Africa with the connivance of the British government are just some of the other items that emerge from the Department of Trade investig- Lonrho financial ation into empire published last week.

The revelations are by no means first major the report sy samatic vs ationst of interactius- racialist sanctions against regimes in Rhodesia and South

HUWCA

WELIOWL ECSUIL.

REVELATION

Whát is new is the revelation of ownershio. the ease with which violations were As the Guardian carried through. put it: .sanction busting easy provided you have a telex machine, an understanding with your clients and a willingness to travel."

"Tiny" Rowland, the Chairman of Lonrho kept in virtual day to day contact with

IIS

GAlataYe Rhodesian business concerns 2n0 and manufacturing from mining and held LDi to the present day the telex meetings

OVEI

abla machine. a Lonrho sub- It was through sidiary that Rhodesian company way" its the

WIDCI

National Coal Board in 1974.

being IS now daL LOI. alleged, Rowlands through his sub- in stantial political connections buck arnica nas playeu a vılai ruie a go-between and financier in arms industry and weapons dealers African politics. is called for which must prepare the It is specifically rumoured that way for the nationalisation of the be has acted as a go-between in the "detente between arms industry under workers' manoeuvres Such industry Presidert Kaunda of, Zambia and martericidn. would supply IsTist the thai be played Sout-

PORTUGAL

General Spinola is coming home. That at least is the mes- sage from Rio de Janiero, where the man who tried to turn Portugal back to fascism recently expressed his satis- faction with the outcome of country's the presidential election. Spinola said that he would as newly elected soon

TOCHIMA

President Gen. Antonio Ramalho formaily taken office banes nas (this week), probably in the latter part of this month. Spinola's confidence in finding a haven under the new government is doubtless well founded. Eanes, himself confident of the political support of Soares Socialist Party,

N NADIA OTAOT DTI

curtail the left and head off any advance

LUTEICH

WDIKUN

control. of his first moves was to One reimpose restrictions, including a ban on press conferences, on Maj. Otelo Carvalho, the left populist Arab League meeting The on Monday was the scene of an international conspiracy to turn the Lebanon into a grave- yard for tens of thousands of ment® of the Palestinian resistance- COnEHn camp of Tel El Zataar has spread throughout the Lebanon as with the Lebanese right-wing forces efforts to suppress the Palestinians ment wamed inat it Tel El Zaoya.

war and of the rest of the refused to give up the positions oi pontical the Christians to be in a majority in wing, who now represent a majonty wing rule indefinitely. The key to the present crisis in miles away in New York. United Nations resol- rights of the Palestinian people to right to national independence and •veroel Dy United States. These are the rights which the Zionist state of Israel has tried to abolish. of the The three scattered million throughout the states of the Middle East live on the East Bank and Israeli-occupied Bank of the TLHTRIr Presidential candidate who gained 16.5% of the vote, running second to Eanes. The clearest indication of the policies which Eanes intends to given by the newly wuLDu announced guidelines on workers

CUILEOI

Theco worktios u nerete right intervene

WEKEE

democratically the life of firm...to mobilise it for the revol- utionary process. But the cabinet, of way "interpretation" of the constitution workers' now declares that no "interfere commission may with the functions of governing bodies or the hierarchies of firms.

This is a blow against any real control by workers of the means of production and a move towards the fake "worker participation' offered by such firms as Chrysler and British Leyland in this country.

Eanes will seek to tie the trade of unions to the implementatior government attacks on workers in every way possible. In this, too, the British model of live in the Lebanon - which lies immediately north of the Israeli state. It is the prospect of a regime Palestinian which the supports people gaining power through the Lebanese civil which has war terrified the bourgeois leaders of Syria, Egypt and other Arab states While they are happy to make endless statements of support for the Palestinians, their real position in the fight against Zionism is closer US veto at the UN against to the Egypt's President Sadat formally abandoned his stance the anti-Zionist struggle in Septem- In violation of earlier agreements TnPT. Egypt-Israel disengagement ment - abandoning altogether the In exchange for the return Israel of 720 square miles of occu- allow Israeli shipping through the ment with Israel and its US backers Arab world, particularly by Syria's - Who pick up the mantle of anti-Zionist

"NO RECONCILIATION"

Syrian leaders frequently repeat- reconciliation with Egypt would be possible until the Sinai agreement The reality of a possible Pales- • The exchanges between Egypt and Syria welc nastuy Iesumen as dyna sent a thousand troops into the Assad's Syrian regime is not over- the Palestinians, has apreed porting SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 141h Juty 1976 colaboration between the TUC and the right-wing Labour government "very interesting Postinga, Prat that t that does not work, however, Eanes has will bring in vitally slaleu Ellal nt the "political army to crush strikes' The Communist Party dominat- ed union federation, Intersindical, has criticised the new attacks on workers' control, which they "limit the of rightiy rights workers with a view toward making workers' control ineffective and allowing capitalist recuperation in violation of the constitution".

though, how question can these attacks be fought?

Portuguese workers must demand that the Communist Party break with the collabora- craven, tionist politics shown in its election campagin (and which contributed humiliating gItally ucital and instead actively organise and support strike action to maintain and extend the rights of workers in challenging the bosses for control of production. wars should end" Egypt undertakes to withdraw even verba support for while Syria agrees to accept Egypt's tanks against the Moslem town of Beirut and another 500 to attack the left-wing held town of Arsa, to holding down groups of Palestinian guerrillas who could be used in the military backing from the capitalist powers. War and War Production spent the first week of July in Britain nego- tiating the purchase of patrol boats, The US State Department has recently approved the sale to Syria of undisclosed number of Lockheed L-100 turboprop trans- port planes. Israel has no need to intervene in the Lebanon as the Palestinians are attacked once again. The Tel Aviy government must be shaking with "warns" Israel •as bgvot

14H4ILG

against intervention. For the Palestinians, this is yet another indication of the futility looking for support amongst the bourgeois Arab Regimes the Middle East who are constantly striving for an accomodation with the world's imperialist powers.

Even those like Libya and Tunisia - whose leaders have dema- gogically protested against the Palestinians have massacre of the not lifted a practical finger to help them. As the Syrian-Maronite offensive mounted the the at weekend

PLO

Libyan "support' for the revealed itself in its true colours - an 'appeal' by Gaddafi to the Soviet to increzsed

LEAC ID

CLASS COLLABORATION

SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 14th July 1976

ITALY

The new Italian parliament opened with an agreement between the Christian Demo- (DC) and the Com- crats munist Party (PCI) over the division of the most important parliamentary offices. The right wing DC president, Fanfani, becomes president of the Senate and Pietro Ingrao, a member of the

PCI,

of the secretariat becomes president of the Chamber of Deputies slightly Lille political version of the Speaker of the House of Commons). Only one vote was cast against Berlinguer Ingrao - a write-in vote for General de Gautle! The leaders have insistently.

LONG WAY

asked the bution" from outside the govern- which would therefore be a This deal is still a long way from the "historic coalition, which the PCI's compromise' centre-lett coalition with the DC. Socialist Party continues to reject, sure sign that the belligerent state- or a minority DC government.

both It is clear that, whatever govern- ments coming party headquarters since the election are the PCI is secretly ment emerges, the capitalist strictly for public consumption negotiating only and do not reflect the discreet parties a package of policies design- conversations going on in secret.

ed to meet Italy's huge capitalist taking

LENIS.

the chairmanships place over parnamentary communees.

"RESTRUCTURING"

The PCI have demanded those of Justice ano the interior as well as oi in the commentators the parliamentary inquiries into the capitalist press agree that this must Matia and the Lockheed affair.

"restructuring" the include

HIDE

sector (meaning rationalis- state and unemploy- speed-up ment) and some form of incomes On the latter the DC leaders, which some of whom have a lot to hide, policy include the abolition of the present may well be less compromising.

The

PCI

direct limited sliding scale of wages.

demand for a The organisation, share coalition government employers continues but is made less Confindustria, under the guidance being The Workers Socialist League The Workers Socialist League was formed in December of of the principles 1974 to struggle for the continuity Britain and towards the rebuilding of the. Trotskyism in Fourth International. In the daily struggle to take the demands and principles of Trotsky's the WSL has been at the Transitional Programme into the trade unions, on ful pay the fans for that in 1973 a Co treme were the and work sharing only alternative to Jones' £6 pay plan and the wholesale acceptance of TUC's redundancies by the bureaucracy.

In today's fight against the scale of wages for a sliding 42% pay cutting proposais this demand (rising according to the rising cost of living as assessed by trade union committees) is the essential basis of consistent opposition.

In the Health Service WS comrades have led the struggle for a sliding spending, for the start of workers' control of the service scale of NHS (beginning with opening the books of the Health Authorities), along with the fight to end all private practice. Perhaps more important we have led the growing call for strike action to defend the NHS against the cuts and to implement these policies, fighting those like the ASTMS leadership who substitute the words for the action.

WSL comrades have tested and developed the In local disputes also, putting forward in every case demands of the Transitional Programme, the only real opposition to the Stalinists and the right-wing. Our struggle for the "open the books" demand in the motot industry has won a mass.

unemployment, calling for unity of employed and unemployed through put forward a policy we have the fight to mobilise the trade union movement.

for

WSL

is the only that fights consistently The movement transitional demands, going beyond mere trade union mílitancy to pose the political issues to workers.

foI in doing this our comrades have been forced also to lead struggle.

union democracy against the bureaucratic manipulation of the Stalinists and right-wing.

interventions have developed the Leagues's grasp. of these Trotsky's Transitional Prog.amme there has been a consistent drive to deepen and enrich the movement's understanding of the history and the present crisis of the Fourth International, as an essential part of any serious initiative towards its reconstruction.

We urge all readers who agree on the need for revolutionary leadership and the demands we put forward to find out more about the Wst and join our fight in the labour movement.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

STALINISTS KEY TO

of Giovanni Agnelli, head of Fiat, submitted an economic programme to the trade union federations and political parties. It is a plan for massive "restructuring" States to help the of the state - already been made summit meeting in Jamaica at the sympathetic noises were made It was also made clear that any loans would have attached to them the most stringent conditions about cutting state spending and control- ling wages.

ATTRINI

these Not only are effort to prepare bound to be a no doubt partly also silent. political but also their ating inflation pioyment. which were the PCI and been as they gains confirmed. is patched together to the satisfac- tion of the DC and PCI leaders this will by end the Italian no means it will, political CrISIS on the contrary, take it to a new, mOTe state in which the building acute, of a Trotskyist leadership remains the most crucial task.

BOLIVIA

In Bolivia Generai Banzer's military dictator- right-wing ship is still reeling under the blow of the tin miners" strike.

Banzer, fearing increasingly for the loyalty of his troops, has been touring the barracks in an effort to hold morale together. On June 29th the government announced the end of the strike.

But subsequent reports from other sources say that continues which suggests that the govern. ment's announcement was a desper- ate ruse to try to end the month- long stoppage. The events in Bolivia have been followed neighbouring Peru by one of the largest and probably the most threatening demonstrations of mass opposition to the reactionary military junta since but lett-talking, it came to office in 1968.

Like the events in Poland a tew days earlier, Peru's massive protests were sparked off by very sharp price increases, in this case resulting mainly from the sudden devalua- tion of the sol by 44%.

SPAIN

The last man whom Franco named as Prime Minister, Arias Navarro, has been abruptly re- placed by the last man that he The switch of Premiers is part of present a conymclig the increasingly impatient hands of purely dictatorship over the working class.

into a pubic anu The regime's plans to give limit- some bourgeois ed legal rights to and reformist political parties had ground to the Cortes, Spain's fake parliament. Navarro showed no signs Arias of being able either to persuade the bunker (the Francoists who do not even profess a 'reformist' position) to pass them into law, or persuade ; anyone else that he was at all com- mitted to the measure. Arias was widely expected to be replaced by either Interior Minister Fraga or Foreign Minister Areilza, the two smoothest-talking 'reform- ist' Francoists in the government.

Both of these were vetoed, it is now known, by the chiefs of the army and by from other Piessie , die-hard fascists. And that veto reflects the most of the tactical differences pressing inside the whether to regime Spanish Communist legalise the Party (PCE). It is Fraga who has most clearly realised that the PCE leadership, given the enormous political weight of the party in the working class, is an indispensable participant in the effort to prevent the working class from taking power. The PCE leaders are prepared to use all their power to get the work- ing class to limit its objectives to The regime of General Morales Bermudez was taken aback by the sharp reaction which included strikes by workers and small traders and violent confrontations in the poverty-stricken shanty towns around Lima, where buses were barricades overturned against police attacks. At least five demonstrators were killed by police on the first day of the riots. The government declared a state of emergency, suspending constitu- Carillo those which suit the bourgeoisie.

has himself hinted that, tional reforms, the PCE could the grotesquely named Democratic associate of Lopez Rega, the insti- gator of the ultra-right death squad in Argentina) has also come out in have now all refused to serve unde who nas the weight in the cabinet of Opus catholic Franco governments of the late 1960s and than ly not what was intended by km!

Juan Carlos, whose first experimen with using his power has shown jus The split in the Francoist rank to working class movement - that th PCE and Socialist Party leadership class collabor through their joint ationist front the Democratic CO ordination, will make some more o deal with Fraga, Areilz jess open and the other 'reformists' who hav refused to serve under Suarez.

might then They return power with PCE and Socialist Part support when the Suarez cabine collapses. It is known that in the last fer the PCE leaders have ha weeks othe secret talks with At the same time th ministers. particula statements of Areilza in "national pact" with th opposition have become uncanni of th the statements to Democratic Coordination about break "negotiated democratic with Francoism. entire working class mor The ment must be ready to resist an filthy deal of this kind.

It must throw out the leade ship which has abandoned defence of the independent inte of the class and working to sell the whole mov prepared ment to the highest bidder.

tional guarantees (such as they ar a 10pm to and шировшь curtew. tried demo strators by offering a 23 a week p rise. But this is only a small fracti‹ of the cut in real wages caused the price increases, and it had l discernible political effect.

and Peru In both weakened military dict severely living on borrow torships They now last only time. long as the working class falls find a clear and principled lead ship.

ALL-ROUND ATTACK

ON WORKERS' HEALTH

The Callaghan government's determination to make further public spending will cuts in have a devastating impact on a whole range of social services - so wide-reaching that simply the defence of individual sectors of the social services is now insufficient to defend the working class. This is particularly clear in the of the Health Service. The Case "Stop standard slogan on this is the Cuts - Defend the NHS" and at face value this is all that is needed.

But in fact, not only do the rag- bag lefts' rally verbally to NHS but so (also support the in words) do the august bodies, the Medical Dental British and Associations (BMA and BDA) - strange bedfellows indeed.

SLOGAN

Why is this slogan so attractive to such diverse groups? More important do the We arably Medical associations defend?

A historical perspective on the medical services might clarify some of the issues. The inception of the

NHS

by the was a victory won working class as part of the struggle.

for better living standards and these legitimate claims for decent: standard of life and health must be defended. The NHS, however, was trom the start a compromise designed by a Liberal, Beveridge, 1 no camer that better health would come with simply more medical treatment.

He assumed that a lot of money would need to be spent on getting us meally and thal luen lue cost ol the NHS would fall. This has obviously happened. The medical profession has devising more and more sophisticated and expensive of many of types treatment, dubious value to patients, but the NHS remains in real terms a repair service - a cover up.

HEALTHIER?

Are people healthier as a result of all this doctoring? If we examine the eve vast it pooldon em med medical expenditure over the last 20 years resulted in

JA KON

life expectancy. In fact for the first time this century lite expectancy for men has fallen over the last few years. One claims of of the major modern medicine is that it control- during this led intections diseases - but there is eviderice to century show that these diseases were not actually controlled by medical intervention. Tuberculosis (TB) for example was the of death in major cause already declining before the introduction of drug fever, therapy. most common death in of cause 1-5 year olds, was a reducing threat even before the use of antibiotics.

MEASURES

These and many other diseases fact more controlled by other public health measures such as better sanitation and education Improvements in living standards and crowded housing condit ions also contributed to the reduc the prevalence of these WOn 1D diseases. But of course of these none KeIS commonty found on octors prescription pads.

Doctors refer the individualistic bourgeois patch individual up healthy enough to go on producing Today the major killers are road

LOU

DORIULOES

living conditions. challenge their class interest and the devise new, admittedly very clever, tricks, gadgets and drugs which cost These things are often available at the doctors whim, varying frum the exotic - heart transo ants ton - to me mundane - arugs numb the grinding pressure of Measured Day Work, night work, and overtime, the drudgery of housework. They may stop the working class worrying about low wages and rotten housing, but do they really make you healthier? The doctors and dentists, the tip of the worktorce, milnot-strong for safeguards• for clamour only their NHS where their right to have private patients is defended; where middle class patients get more than share of attention from their fair middle class doctors (A Report just that nearly published shows 50% тоге money is spent on every middle class patient than on one from the working class); where Doctor Kildares dispense or ration which only the miracles in jargon the specialist can understand (after They defending only the present hierarchical system. This has reached the point where 70% of the NHS budget was spent just on hospital services last year.

need medical we do expertise and hospitals, but health is too imoortant to be lett in the hands of the professions.

They conspire control and divert the legitimate demands of the working class. Medicine alone cannot alter health significantly and this movement should not endorse this deception.

BEYOND

workers, not just those involved in the NHS must develop a policy on health which goes beyond the present disease service.

Preventive actions must be taken inside and outside the NHS.

This can only be done by controlling the the vested interests of capital which exploits workers" and their families' health and pollutes the environment Health in other should not be defined as 'fit for work'.

NHS

be defended but this should be seen clearly as only the first transitional step in programme to better policies health care. The shortage of money is not the only problem in the health service.

MONOPOLY

The professional monopoly on information must be fought by all workers and patients The effectiveness of treatment should be publically scrutinised by committees of unionists LIdut working with socialist doctors and technicians Public health measures such as better housing and social conditions should be included in any overall policy relating to health care. An NHS under workers control these problems and consider not be duped by the professions. Then we would see whether the doctors and dentists would really defend and help improve our health

LETTERS

We welcome letters from readers. Letters for publication should be kept as brief as possible and sent to: Socialist Press, 31, Dartmouth Park Hill London NWS IHR.

SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 14th July 1976 itch ward Fisher's call is months overdue -as demonstrated by the closed ward in Oxford's Radcliffe Infirmary nUPE calls for Strikes The call from Alan Fisher, These forms of action, while important as a starting point of General Secretary of the •have the weakness that resistance, National Union of Public they all isolate action to the indiv- for "guerrilla Employees idual workplace - with no perspec- , including strikes and tive of coordinated national action actics demonstrations to oppose the which can actually • defeat the cuts cuts is a sign of the pressure Indeed Fisher specifically rules from NUPE members out. fight for and the "extensive Only two days earlier the NUPE prolonged strikes", ensuring as best had announced executive only he can that his members actions another lame round of propaganda are reduced to inconvenient irri- printing 35,000 against the cuts - tations for axe-wielding social ser- posters and 250,000 leaflets, vice manacements. holding lobby of Parliament. While this would provide much-

SUPPORT

needed work to the rinting indus try it is certain that if not tied to a of strike We support every, even partial programme sustained action taken by workers to stop the action the propaganda will not save a single job or threatened sector of cuts - but as a part of the fight for the social services. al-out mational sinke action Fisher has The additional call is to made only a gesture

HIKW

mount a series of *short strikes to head off the militancy of his

- NUPE

members branches must and mass demonstrations" critical times, along with working- press for the real fight to be taken This

NUPE

to-rule; non-cooperation with up. begın by repudiating the 4½%

TUC

wage- unlatera: Ie-arago ment of work schedules by mem- cutting plan, and leading an offen- sive against Callaghan's programme bers to offset the effects of the of spending cuts and hand-outs to cuts; and refusal to accept big búsiness additional work loads. Drain covers Up 'Those authorities that seek official strike action to stop the other public joining with to use the latest government Luis. service unions in a defence of the circular as the excuse for social services. further cuts will meet the full Instead, Drain has stayed silent of union" resistance my while the TUC General Council, by Geoffrey 20 votes to 3, accepted the new announced Drain, social contract which makes it clear NALGO General Secretary, at that there will be further savage a Liverpool public meeting last cuts in public spending. week. And is he reduced to simply If Drain's words didn't carry mouthing phrases about 'not tolerating" "not standing idly and this is because conviction, few by" while in practice doing just only weeks at the that. NALGO Conference he was leading Rather than call on NALGO the right-wing pack opposed to any action defend jobs, members to mobilise in the struggle wages. Of for a cash injection and a sliding conditions against the concerted scale of spending to protect the onslaught of government spending cuts. social services against inflation, Drain looks to the extreme right- Of struck common note in Liverpool when he wing Labour cabinet for a change of policy! plocalme at • my members are getting thoroughly fed up of seeing "We look in vain for action to tackle capital services cut and posts not filled as accumulaton. though these are the only things interest rates, the activities of the the that the government can think of to specu- lators" solve its economic problems.

NALGO

What he did not tackle was the members must no longer look in vain to Drain and his growing

NALGO

members that no lead for an all. allies, but begin the preparation of out fight is being given by Drain or new leadership in NALGO locally his fellow bureaucrats. and nationally which will use the His strength 'left' words are simply a great the union to

MINERS VOTE TO

The NUM at their confer-.

ence last week called on the Callaghan government to ban the National Front. A further motion moved Yorkshire Scargill,

NUM

Arthur President, which called on the TUC fascist oppose attempts groups to infiltrațe the unions, was passed unanimously. The voting on these two motions

BUREAUCRATS

ATTEMPT TO

STIFLE REPORT

"An unjustified attempt to seize a march leader and grab lead banner makes the no unless the aim IS sense break up the march, discredit the marchers' cause, and stifle their protest" This was the conclusion of the report of the Independent Trade Union Which occurred during the Reye-to- events Work march on March 19 at Staples Corner in Worth London The theme of excessive police the violence TunS throughout report. Earlier in the day question the police had tried to take one of the march leaders from the march and failed, so repeated the attemot with renewed vigour at Staples Corner; right outside the Hendon Police Station. The police arrested 44 of the less than one hundred marchers. They wielded their truncheons with abandon, injuring many marchers as those at the Albert Hall rally next day saw. Barnet Borough Trades Council set Trade Union Inquiry up the Committee, composed of prominent labour leaders such as Sydney Bidwell the Tribune of group of MPs and Jack Collins, the Kent miners' leader. The Committee examined statements from 90 witnesses, none of which were police - in spite of The Committee's approaches to the police were rewarded with a cautionary letter from the Office of

BAN FASCISTS

Scargill of clearly reflects a groundswell ranks of within the the

NUM

the growing threat against labour posed to organised Tane movement and immigrant com- various fascist munities by the organisations. Any initiative taken by the trade against organis- movement ations like the National Front is to Nevertheless it is welcomed. necessary to point out that workers the Director of Public Prosecutions warning them not to 'prejudice the trials of the 43 who were charged after the incident. Committee allowed the State to. shackle them with the chains of hundreds of years of anti- working class legislation - with a result that the report is framed ir only the most general and abstract of terms. And whilst the State has been keeping watch on the progress of the Inquiry, its collaborators in the class in the shape of the working. Union Trade bureaucracy done their best to stifle it.

Committee acknowledges The the weakness of the report imposed by the sub-judice legislation and on the basis of its tentative Walto. findings, for a full public inquiry.

But in spite of the hostility from the bureaucracy, many trade unions branches and Labour Party and Councils Trades have passed of support, while the Tribune group have fully supported it. The Inquiry Report, in spite of its limitations and with the support it already has, can now form the basis of a campaign in the the labour movement to break chains the capitalist law

ATI

defend the 43 and other victims of the State. Donations to and the Report from: Barnet Trades Council 19 March Committee, C/o R. Connolly, POEU Branch Secretary, 80-108 West The broadway, Hendon, London NW9 21st JULY cannot rely on either the Callaghan Workers at the University TUC bureau- government or Pancras hos- cracy against the College and St. fascists. pitals haye agreed at mass precisely because the take strike action meetings to Callaghan government CutllIg on July 21st in defence of the wages, slashing jobs and attacking Elizabeth Garrett Anderson social services, aided and threatened Hospital, with abetted by the union bureaucracy. that enables the fascists to capital- closure and now operating on ise on the frustration and demoral- an emergency basis. isation this causes iamongst sections At UCH, only essential services of the working class. will maintained July 21 st a Labour Home Sec- be on AllO It Is the strikers picket the EGA who ensures that hundreds retary and then march to the House ever they. come out on the streets, Commons lobby MPs and try to see David Ennals. like while trade Des Warren remain in jail. This call for strike action follows of pickets Workers must rely only on their and meetings a series own organised strength in order to against closure of the EGA.

5th On July a picket of the defeat the fascist groups and drive hospital, supported by health the racialists off the streets.

from London, If Scargill is serious about the workers over marched to a meeting of the Area fascism his task is struggle against must lead the fight to Health Authority to demand that it clear. He

AHA,

closure. The overturn

NUM

acceptance of oppose commit predictably, refused wage-cutting the to and social services, so that the fight itself to anything but the setting up of a new committee! for an alternative workers movement can begin The strike action called for the the 21st July and vital a correct and the fascists isolated.

EGA.

move in defence of the At the time he must However, workers must not have fight to commit the NUM nation- setting up of illusions that lobbying MPs or meet- to support the ing with the Secretary of State will workers defence squads in order to the fascist attacks on the change the situation. David Ennals defeat immigrant and supports a "slim" healtn service, communities that is, he supports_the Labour labour movement meetings.

THOUSANDS RALLY

AGAINST RACIALISM

12,000 workers More than Asian workers attempted to stop of the van from being removed two and youth, the majority were run over by the police.

One demonstrated them Asian, youth, had and his broken through central London on another received a back injury.

two consecutive Sundays to Open provocations of this nature protest against racialist and by the police are only to be expect- ed in the present period and can fascist attacks on the immi- only be defeated by the organised grant community. strength of the working class.

The At the first demonstration on Socialist League contin- Workers ed, led by a contingent of 5,000 July about people marched, Asian youth. The slogans reflected the policies of the various organisations: the Communist "One Race, Party s the Socialists noc! ; the Internation- Powell Socialists'

DEFENCE SQUADS.

Murderer" the IMG's "Labour Movement Must Support Black self Defence". Only the Workers Socialist contingent rooted the League growth of racialism in the economic crisis and demanded "Work Sharing Full Pay" "Public Works" and More racialist attacks are "Reactionary Controls going to take place. The neces- Out" well as the demand for as Workers Defence Squads. sity for developing defence This caused bitter rows with the squads in those areas where

ICL

who claimed that all workers taking attacks are already black self defence ате is therefore becoming place was the only answer, and that it more urgent was wrong to put forward demands on this demonstration which were The tash of revolutionaries not connected with racialism!

both to defend those being attack- crowd of about 7,000 A larger ed and show that these attacks are a took part in last Sunday's march. are a class issue. Fascism is about This demonstration was organised breaking up the organisation of the opposition to the previous one working class a i vhrie and while the banners the OI immigrant organisations various left were groups or individuals who have started rhe noticeable, there was an absence of formation of vigilante groups hare taken an important step forward in When march the reached breaking from the reformist prosti.

Picadilly Circus three Asian youths jon of appealing to the police the Southall Youth Movement capitalist state. to defend cherisel- contingent were arrested by police yes against fascism - which irvell is and demonstrators refused to pro- just another form of capitalism until three had been ceed the But. unlike the International released, The police agreed Marxist Group and other groups we release the three but picked them do nut say it is simply a question of again later when a number of up "Buid labour movement support black self-defence" oter arrests were also made for The most serious incident, how- front page statement ever, took place in Whitehall when 10.6.761 ur "Only ihe defence of petition was black communities by blacks _ Deing laken lo the Downing Street. guarantee for Police "hijacked" Indian againsi racist attacks Workers Association van the "IMG national lezfler!. head of the demonstration, replac- ing it with their own vehicle.

AS

EGA STRIKE -

government's policies of cuts an closures. And not a single MP has so f up the fight to defend th wide publicit

EGA,

despite the received. On the campaign has by health workers action and wi aegena ine nearin. service, outside support around individu closures.

"GUERRILLA TACTICS"

The executive that it will bac announcement

NUPE

tactics" "guerrilla against the cur lead th struggle. We support this move and ca the NUPE executive gi on to official backing to this strike, mobilis officers to

THOLELCI

their members support oI th strike on the 21st July throughor the Camden and Islington area, Joint Sho to fight through • Ene Stewards Committee for full su port from the other unions in th nospitals interesting that NALG which officially sits on the Nation Committee Again Coordinating the Cuts in the Health Service is th of only one the hospital unior involved which has refused to gi support to the call for strike actior gent's slogan of "Down with polic Defenc harrassment Workers Squads - In' was taken up at th by whol point in march sections of workers. Efforts build workers sel defence must be redoubled in ord to combat not only the attacks fascists but also harrassment an provocation by the pollce.

BUILD WORKERS,

#e or course support the rz.

of immigrant workers to defen themse ver whatever necessary against racist and fascis attack But we also have a politic: responsibility to attempt to dire aese calling the irength of 0017 organised lahour movement Whole so that the mor uned die attack be launched LOEl fascist provocation and violence If bach workers and youth h teen the first larged of the fores: preher bnes and trade union intr InES next. Fascist: atracked already inceting, Ireland. #St member and supp affected propose their trades connails and Le that a ligh! detenct squad. berween immigtait dr organistions Where povibic. for this winin ma.. defence squadi delegates from ihe trads urging that thes uar; union bodies. Per a ther counce fascit airaut

THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION

PART 14: THE RED GUARDS

One of the clearest lessons Marxists from the exper- aces of the uprising and the of 1871 was ris Commune e need for the working class smash the machinery and my of the capitalist state. To this it is necessary to organ- the power of the working ass on a completely different sis from that of the bour- Disie.

HEIGHT

Even of at the height mmune its Central Committee arly expressed this, declaring had established: *For the first time a national litia that defends the citizens inst the state power instead of a that defends the manent army against the citizens." But at the same time there was

OVERNCH

Proclamation of Central Committee emerging a different kind of army March 1871. a force based not on the defence of development the the ruling class, its property and revolutionary crisis Russia, the privuege, but drawing Will particularly after February 1917 militancy selt sacrifice of the most advanced consciousness and this same phenomenon began This army was emerge in different forms.

layers of workers. hand the growth of the Red Guard. On the one Bolshevik influence The traditions of the Red Guard anti-war army began to rot its back the ooker structure of discipline and render it Revolution. It had re-emerged in › various forms of Workers Guard progressively and more 1917 incapable during the February or belg usea to acieno Provisional Government Revolution, , and to have the seems "against the citizens" let alone to played a part in the disappearance at that time of 30,000 revolvers and restore any form blatantly reactionary regime. rifles from military stores. For period the next armed workers companies of patrolled The fiasco of General Kornilov's working class protecting attempted right wing coup brought against attacks by this tact forcib v home to both the counter-revolutionames. and the bourgeoisie workers and peasants of Russia.

REAL FORCE

They backed up the struggle for workers control the factories lending real force to the side of the - often removing or working class arresting managers and engineers and sometimes even receiving from the payment factory exchequer for their time on patrol As the employers attempted to sabotage production to disrupt the would the factories, taking over protect the functions of security guards and also of local police. The period of réaction which followed the July Days demonstrations set back for a while the development of the militias. areas detachments of many Red Guard were forced to go the underground and even bury their avoid to searches and confiscations. But as the repression eased. the Bolsheviks who had devoted most of their attention to the armed took up the forces, question. of arming and systematically organising the various factory militias.

BOOST

This received a boost in August when in the fight against Kornilov and rifles were given machine guns the

DUL

enrolled in the newly respectable Ked Guard Workers from them gunpowder factory

WITN

barge full of and grenades explosives; rifle drill begun. mid October the prestige of the Red Guard had grown still further. It had son the support of Irom #here resolution the ammi. demanded after resolution the Red Army soldiers And on October 13th the now Bolshevik Executive dominated Committee of the Petrograd Soviet undertook the task of arming the workers. Trotsky, to the horror of the capitalist press, , signed a requisition on behalf of the Executive Committee for five thousand rifles from the Sestrovesk Arms Factory, and the workers there delivered them up at once. The Red Guard, with this was firmly equipment, integrated into the Military Revolutionary Committee established the day before. This Committee, which was crucial to the successful direction of the insurrection included in its staff: the presidiums of the Soviet the and section, SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 14th July 1976 representatives of the fleet, of the railroad the factory unIons, committees, the trade unions, the military party organisation along with the Red Guard. In this way the Guards were to pay a key were.

state power. seizure Their forces had grown rapidly.

By the eve of the Revolution there were. more than 10,000 Petrograd Moscow. and some in But nationally there were an estimated 100,000, indicating man; areas of strength aruardo weight would be the see where the on the side of revolution.

The structure of the Guard was also distinctively proletarian. Every position of command was elected not The appointed. armed workers knew each other well from neighbourhoods and factories and they were all volunteers. At the same time the working mobilised to provide Red women Cross divisions for first aid.

HOSPITALS

Hospital bases were established in the factomes and venicles were seized to use as ambulances.

The movement • grew so strong Mensheviks were drawn that even into enrolling and playing an active role in the Red Guard. of this Backbone in Petrograd was the solidly Bolshevik working class Vyborg district. "From the dwellings, the factore clubs, lunch-rooms barracks, all the threads lead to the 33 Samsonersky numbered Prospect, are located the where committee of the Bolsheviks, the Vyborg Soviet and the military headquarters. The district militia is fusing with the Red Guard. The district is wholly in the control of the workers.

should government raid Smolny, the Vyborg district alorie could re-establish centre and the further offensive. Huarte Trotsky HRR Vol 3, p. 190

INSURRECTION

And as the insurrection began, the city was divided into military divisions, while the Red Guard took on the task of guarding the most important points bridges telephone and exchanges Trotsky crossroads. highlights the class of these forces:

CONDONIO

"Companies of the Red Guard had emerged from their districts.

The with the worker rifle, bayonet above hat or cap, the rifle belt over civilian coat - that is the essential image of the 25th October. Cautiously and still

CALIST FRES

Tideatly, the armed worker was bringing order into the capital conquered by him." (p. 221) The occupation of government buildings proceded and finally the storming of the Winter Palace was accomplished by the victorious soldiers, sailors and Red Guards.

SOVIET POWER

In the provincial areas, where it was to there were no army units.

be the Red Guard which decisively imposed Soviet power and reinforced the gains of the insurrection in the capital.

It was perhaps in these struggles that the development the Red Guard most explicitly from their worl original function as defence to offensive organisations for the of winning the power by working class. the year following October 1917 the numbers of-Red Guards rose from 100,000 to over 200,000 and the Guard itself was transformed by Trotsky into a solid section of the Red Army of the new Soviet state, playing a decisive role defence the revolution against the attempts at imperialist intervention.

Their discipline, and together with the fact that they fighting unit the btought into one members of all the oppressed minority nationalities together with working women, provide a model for the struggle of revolutionaries for the and independence of the working class.

LESSONS

The from the Paris Commune were taken to a higher level in the proletarian revolution of 1917 in they must •Russia taken to a still higher level in the workers' fight defence today and in the preparation of leadership for revolution in the advanced capitalist countries. The proletarian army must first begin emerge the struggles within the capitalist system itself, and come to full strength in the overthrow of bourgeots rule and the seizing of state power. This is how the capitalist state machine can be destroyed and its army disbanded, stanlalng remembering the judgement of Marx that: the working class cannot simply lay hold on the ready-made machinery and wield it for their own purpose. The political instrument of their enslavement cannot serve the political instrument of their emancipation."

1976

SPAIN UNDER

FRANCO'S

DICTATORSHIP

Review of 'Spain in Crisis", edited by Paul Preston, published by Harvester Press Forty years ago this week the Spanish Civil War began. It took 2½ years for Franco's army and the Spanish fascists (the Falange) to crush the Republican forces, strangle the Spanish revolution and introduce a regime of unparalleled repression and terror against the working class.

This regime has lasted for nearly forty years. It has survived including the fall of all the other fascist governments in Europe 1943 1945. It is now attempting to survive the death of its leader. To understand the reasons for this longevity is a primary task for Spanish workers movement. It is a necessary part of building revolutionary strategy to overthrow Francoism for ever.

ACADEMICS

Spain in Crisis is a book which cannot contribute directly to that task since it is written not from the standpoint workers utionaries searching for a political strategy, but trom the standpoint of a group of left-wing or liberal anti-Francoist academics observing the struggle from the outside.

None of the ten writers, each of Franco in 1936 whom tackles

UI1C

Franco's Spain (the church, the peasantry the opposioll, working class, the army and so on), Having maintained a brilliantly the major political

CONOMES

neutrality questions. during the fighting, Franco was And where some approach is nonetheless widely believed at the made to them, as in Paul Preston's end of the war to be close to total introduction, the conclusions are defeat. All his international allies both superficial and dangerous.

had surrendered, some of the exiled Preston claims that a substantial opposition Spanish had fought secon or wilal ne cals the econ- the British or US armies, confident omic oligarchy' is now in favour of that the Western democracies democracy in Spain. would at the end of the war use widely felt, he says, that It IS their power to overthrow Franco.

....continued development Britain Labour govern- une denendent on entry into the ment came to power, in France and Common Market... Entry into Italy the Communist Parties were in Europe requires democratisation.

the government Spain was diplo- As a result, matically isolated; unan- 'the crisis of the regime has created imously refused membership of the a coincidence of interest between United Nations. part of the economic oligarchy and the opposition.'

ALLIANCE

Several of the other contributors to the book share this opinion that The Communist Party, scenting the political structure of Francoism downfall of Franco scarcely has become an obstacle in the path needed the prompting of Moscow of capitalism in Spain. (which accepted Spain as part of Western the capitalist sphere of

TREACHEROUS

intluence) to declare a broad cross- class alliance as its strategy for the Lader the sponsorship of Ernest British Labour Foreign Social: Party and i=:

I: # I D

20%= : 233 ET= :55

PROCESS

= ==

BACCHIL LL

3w: what they teared abore all serious of the iapre* ÷ 25 iht process *hich mas inter- necessary to bring that about could nationally. not be controlled and would raise But the book also contains, once again the danger of the social fail to though its authors revolution which Franco had interpre: t) the historical evidence strangled on behalf of onginally *th does far how wrong these capitalism. the FrancO VE: ::: dogs:" == He reduced the power of the Falange bringing other ultra- •Dy wing, right especially Catholic, forces into his government.

The Falange, or National Move- ment, was reduced in status from a party to an instrument of national unity.

CHARTER

The fascist salute ceased to be compulsory and Hranco new 'democratic' Charter of the spaniards in which. 'the Spanish State proclaims, as the guiding principle of its acts, respect the dignity, the integrity.

and the liberty of the individual.'

BRUTAL

All this did not make the slight- est difference practice to the 1n ruthless and brutal Francoist dictatorship. Yet it proved enough get the capitalist countries to swallow their and cleanement one by one to recognise Franco's regime. By 1951 it was receiving vast amounts of aid from United the States in exchange for American air bases. The 'progressive' sections of the world capitalist class (with the close collaboration of the Soviet bureau- far from helping to cracy throw Franco had helped to guarantee him power for life.

FAKE

Franco's are now using same fake democratic the language that Franco resorted to in 1945 and at other times. Militiamen patrol Madrid street There is no sign whatever that their democratic intentions are any Franco's honourable than were. The strategy of the Communist Socialist and parties in Spain depends on spreading the illusion that the capitalist class is prepared now to support in Spain à growth in democratisation when in the rest of the world, in an effort to solve the economic crisis, it is moving in exactly the opposite direction.

NOT PREPARED

Not that the 'progressive' sections of either the Spanish or the world capitalist class are any more prepared now than they were Lien LO give real stance struggle in which they know that their own power will be called into question.

NO OBSTACLE

Spanish fascism has lasted from the previous economic crisis to the For that reason the present one Francoism ofi which claimed in this book to obstacle to capital are on the con- trary, precisely what it requires.

There is no objective basis for a period of bourgeois democracy in Spain. And the post-war capitalist 'economic miracle' makes that more true rather than less true. The defeat Francoism, therefore, depends on the development by the working class of an independent and revolutionary strategy.

By Enrique Alvarez Footers

A Review of the film The Man Who Fell to Earth' Starring David Bowie. The press talks incessantly "phenomenon" the of about David Bowie, around whom this film is entirely centred.

The difficulty is to separate the film, which deals with a "visitor" irom outer space, trom the biuro on the film, which virtually suggests Bowie himself is a "visitor"

INDIVIDUAL

Crucial to the film is the concept of the great individual who emerges suddenly and unexpectedly because he is a "visitor". This of course is directly the materialism opposite of historical wich shows that individuals develop within a specific historical environment, are shaped and and created ov that environment.

"individuals" are therefore not capitalists and sense their ideologists. this is not to *great say Of course Bowie is in any sense however much he deludes himself manipulate he is or thinks ne can the public to believe he is.

MANIPULATION

Manipulation of the public is It is in this important to way that his publicly acknowledged support for Nazism its his propaganda techniques, and belief in the necessity for a dictator in Britain (for which role he thinks he would be suitable) find His whole attitude one of absolute contempt for the working class and his audience as a whole. "phenomenon" of Indeed the has been fabricated Bowie His completely. music is only an of the music already

CALCITIN

present around him. His miming

THE FASCIST

WHO FELL

TO EARTH

and acting on stage only use current technic uts.

MACHINE

publicity For the rest it is the machine of capitalism which does But there is a world of difference between show business the Nazis. that of publicity Hitler's propagandists did not just the work on publicity, 0U12 of the brutalising and crushing of class deprived working leadershp. Man Who Fell to Earth, The directed Nicholas Roeg "science" fiction film. But instead which vehicle for the politics of George this film introduces Orwell), as an explanation of the spacemen past. But through this medium also film-maker the politics the emerge clearly.

TECHNIQUE

Technically the film is excellent.

The camera work is superb, and the treatment of the "visitors home planet - with his wife and children dying because of a drought film breathtaking. (Because director is right-wing does not mean he can't make a film: witness 2001 Stanley Kubrick, another by admirer of Goebbels.) Similarly the make-up "visitor" Newton (Bowie) as the of all in his as an first disguise "natural' Englishman, then in nis eyes borrowed from a with form lizard, is all well done.

But when the deeper significance of the film emerges, its reactionary nature becomes clear.

CAMERA

Newton on arrival visits a lawyer to deal with patents Polaroid-type extremely advanced which takes perfect Collid pictures. He gets the lawyer to set company produce and up market this, and follows it with a series of other inventions. whole As Newton 1s set on raising a of money soon

TCUSE

Surl becomes obvious that his aim is to finance the building of a spacecraft by Tony Richardson. in order to return home. In the meantime he meets a girl in a motel who seems to conside it only a little bit weird that he can watch a roomful of televisions at one time. when Newton take his eyebrows off and reveato a little later. competely bald white shiny body, lizard eyes she still tries to make a go of it! He also he lorduction tot This is not surprising - since he proteces ever thventout of thin air appearing to be only about 25 years scientific world - unless the film- makers think scientists develop like pop stars, suddenly leaping to fame the signs are everywhere. This then girl and why he finds it hard to sing anti-scientific In this way content of the film connects have with religion. must have been a "visitor", along with all the self-proclaimed walking prophets the earth 2,000 years ago, we are told. The advantage of the "visitors" however is that they have receivers that pick and radio and are therefore able to disguise themselves as human beings!

The film fails to tell the viewer how on earth their make-up artists managed 2,000 years ago. Of course this is one of the great advantages for reactionary bourgeois film maker. He can hint and invent without explanation, all and defy sense concepts of realism, and use the of "science" fiction to medium further his own mysticism.

LETTER:

WOMEN'S

CHARTER

REPORT

support our position of boycotting Dear Comrades, In your report of the Working the tribunals, because we received quarter. Charter conference support from any women's Socialist Press 21 April 1976.

you However it well be that incorrectly imply that the RCG was RCG members were involved in the among the groups arguing for the other legislation workshop, where the of also to use tribunas industil THere reballet women fighting for equal pay.

tribunals, and they may there have As the WSL members attending put a principled position. It is to be the

RCG

applauded that the RCG does hold the know, Conceal does not, and did not at that con- the that these tribunals position use of such should be boycotted, and the fight the ference, support In failing to offer any against tribunals. for equal pay discrimination taken up within the evidence for

WSL

tacitly admits that it has no movement, directly trade union in reality. In a similar vein the bureaucracy, and basis contronting "bankrupt • the write about the will be interested see you to this policy. reformist positions' argued by the

RCG

in practice RCG at the conference workshops.

We agree with the RCG position You indication in the of opposing positive liscrimination, give no si to witionhese bre rupe the logic of the article and also noted demand as the

IMG

i fell into the reformist positions' were. challenge the WS to produce one trap of arguing for redundancies of of 'reformist position' men workers in order to produce instance argued by the RCG in these work- more favourable balance between male and female workers. The issue shops. Socialist Press was "ignored" in the article because In its report, as already stated, the WSL delegates makes no mention of the mosi important political issues raised at did not attend the workshop which the the provisions dealt with this matter. conference • the Bolsheviks saw the made in the Equal Pay and Sex Just as Discrimination Acts for need for the oppressed peasants to positive won to the leadership of the discrimination. that women should working class so we see that central Arguments to the fight for women's rights and receive positive. discrimination their is the employment, training schemes, etc, against oppression accept the bourgeois arguments necessity directing towards the organised working class that the working class is responsible as a whole, organised in the trade for the capitalist crisis..

The I-CL drew out the logic of unions. the demand for positive discrimin- We therefore regarded as the Working issue of the ation when it argued, in the paper centrai Womans Charter conference the which it presented to the confer- need to focus on how the trade ence union bureaucracy is not fighting 'We are against redundancies on basis. However, where for women's rights, and specifically redundancies go through, we are how they are reacting to the Equa Pay Act and the Sex Discrimination against weaker sections, such as blacks and women, being put on Act. They are diverting individual list first the redundanev as a matter of principle.' members into the industrial leading This demand tribunals instead of only split the working class by struggles to improve conditions and reinforcing sectional views which fight for rights. Our answer to this already exist. be wherever possible must mobilise women to boycott these The RCG was the only group to tribunals, refusing to be diverted challenge this dominant position (shared by the I-CL and the IMG) there by the bureaucrats. Instead at the conference. Why did no WSL we urge women workers to demand member speak out against this that the bureaucrats lead industrial 'bankrupt reformist position' at the action on equal rights. In this way the bureaucracy can conference? Why does' the report in Socialist be exposed, and defeated For this reason the fight• struggle. Press ignore the issue of positive • way for women's rights is in no discrimination? separate from the fight against the When the bourgeoisie is doing its divide the working class - cuts in social services, or the wage best to cuts being forced in by the Labour between and black wollen issue and white, productive and unprod- government on every towards the workers - the dangers of we direct exposing uctive collaborationist positions of the positive discrimination should be bureaucracy apparent to anyone claiming to be a In referring to bankrupt revolutionary positions supposedly The WSL did not warn of these reformist argued by the RCG our article was dangers at the conference, and now however at fault. Some editorial fails to mention them in its news- it makes unsub- amendments resulted - instead,. paper to the RCG becoming stantiated allegations. State clearly

CICIELLC

where the WSL stands on the issue confused with that the of the IMG politics of positive discrimination.

opportunist and IS. We therefore do apologise Provide clear evidence that the to our readers and the RCG for any RCG argued one reformist position misunderstanding that have If the WSL fails to do this, it has a may duty to apologise to its readership arisen as a result. statement for the dishonest contained in Socialist Press.

The Women's subgroup Revolutionary Communist Group

TRANSITIONAL

Our Reply - and an

PROGRAMME

Apology

NEW EDITION

As the Socialist Press report in question stressed, WSL comrades

AVAILABLE NOW

of the two workshops on legislation at the Price 30p plus 10p p&p from: This workshop Conference. attended also by at least certainly Dartmouth Park Hill, RCG member, can one categorically state that she did not

NO PRINCIPLED BASIS FOR

From left: Liu Po-ching, Chu Teh and Chen on the rost

UNITY

by John Lister For some time within the ranks of the International Marxist Group there has been a grouping of members who profess parties political agreement with a number of the positions of Workers Socialist Tendency League. Yet rather than put these views into practice in the logical way by leaving the IMG and joining the WSL they have remained within the IMG ranks, declaring themselves the they "Trotskyist political Opposition Faction" last November. positions. of this has been a tne result curious partial critique by these repeatedly comrades mented, practice and perspective of the IMG - a critique which has failed historical and political roots of the wrong positions put by the

IMG

politics leadership and leaders of the "United" Secretariat of the Fourth International of which the

IMG

is the British section. This has emerged clearly with the publication in the IMG's paper Red Weekly pre-conference statement by "Tendency 1", which concludes by advocating: "Conference should resolve to certain unite the forces of the IMG with could « vital part of perspectives for the year ahead our Red Weekly, June 3rd. work carried

MISLEADING

Couched in these terms, and coming at the end of a political statement which pulls back from a full-scale critique of the practice of

IMG,

the this statement is com- pletely It misleading. gives the impression that the very real the political and theoretical differences principled issues which divide the IMG from the Workers Socialist while the League could in Gerry some way skipped over if the IMG Conference

SWP

passed paserger" formal for Only This is most certainly not the apply Political case. questions. must be and treated more seriously than this if a principled way forward is to be the found for the of the Fourth International.

Why is the WSL an organisation independent of the

IMG?

Not because we wish to preserve an artificial division, Icillala small group of people, but because we are in fundamental disazreement split with the IMG's view the analysis working class and the leadership; with their consequent history of only paying lip-service to the demands of Trotsky's Trans- itional Programme; with their and International political for support the United Secretariat, whose history positions and must be critically Healy, reexamined (along with the other international groupings claiming to Trotskyist) it firm grounds are established to be for Indeed • reipica reconstruction of the Fourth Inter- Tendency national. of the call for None of these disagreements can Cuba be swept aside by an organisational Vietnam), "fusion" of IMG and WSL - indeed such a step would impede

•ITY

discussion to clarify these questions by relegating them to secondary clearly importance.

USFI.

NOT OVERNIGHT

tendency i The cadres of the IMG and the USFI leaders did not in our opinion the simply arrive at political emergence overnight. They derive their wrong political conclusions forces trom a history of empirical oppor- tunist and centrist politics within the USFI itself - a history which stretches back to before the 1953 split in the world Trotskyist move- ment. This is Why the Tendency The statement fall's short on its critique of the USFI. It states for instance that: national A Reply to the Statement in Perspectives by IMG "Tendency 1" USFI concerning the nature of the petty bourgeois leaderships of the Chinese and Cuban workers' states and the need to build Trotskyist these countries reflect grave weaknesses." the same statement, itself talks even wrongly of the "state power of the bourgeoisie" apparently being over- thrown in Angola (succumbing to the same type of empirical concep- tions as the USFI leadership). And plainly to grasp the roots these wrong balance sheet roots, the

WSL

as has analysed docu- are in the USFI's contin- national. uity of political method with that Michel Pablo whose lethal It has not been seriously combination of to by the IMG or the USFI.

liquidationist and bureaucratic Tendency regime forced a split in the Fourth Inter for such' a national in 1953. calls the WL's adequately

IMPRESSIONS

opment of the USFI. Working on the basis of surface impressions Pablo saw Tito's split questions to with Stalin as evidence that under movement. conditions Stalinist parties ist Opposition become centrist and even revolutionary parties. He therefore scrapping the careful of cadre building being out by sections of Fourth International, and instead began to instruct them to secretly enter the national Stalinist parties, dropping all external appearances of Trotskyism. Any resistance to this line drew a bureaucratic response from Pablo and his supporters - who included

USFI

leader Ernest Mandel. In fact until 1953 only the French sectio resisted Pablo's line, British section (led by Healy) and the American (led by James P. Cannon) backed Pablo. when moves were made to the same line to the British US did the fight

SECTIONS

against it really begin, giving rise to famous Open Letter of 1953 which formed the basis of the split in the International.

DISTORTED

And since 1953 both sides in the have pulled back from oi its lessons, and have The factionally distorted of the International. veteran leader of the Chinese Until these questions can be confronted revolution, and 'father' of the there is no way to reconstruct the People's no way of were interred grasping today's wrong method and week. Mandel, advocated by His death, at the age of ninety, Hansen and Lambert political leaders of the main inter- leaves Mao Tse Tung as the only leading survivor of that generation groupings calling themselves Trotskyist. of the the The meeting very instances (South China) between 1 quote - abandonment Trotskyist parties in Tung and Chu Teh China often (as well and talk *class Stalinists of was important event in the development struggle tendency emerging in the labour movement bringing sections of the Chinese Revolution.

bureaucracy

STALIN

today's evidence that Pablo's perspectives live on in the "class the struggle Shanghai, Canton and Nanchang already since has the IMG Conference been swamped in pages of Red Weekly adaptation the party the in act, nor of black self-defence and an idealisation of the Nanchang rising and later fled with they represent. this, too, is Pabloism - opportunist and superficial to the core.

INITIATIVE

class, with guerrilla warfare as its

WSL

document Fourth International: Problems and Tasks was an initiative towards an inter- discussion these on of the post war they agree with the WSL analysis developments in the Fourth Inter- or not? If they do agree then we recom- mend them draw to replied conclusion and apply Yet the movement, help does 1 Statement not cipled leadership based full discussion working class cadre and but instead simply criticises what it for the Transitional Programme.

If they do not "failure to grasp agree the history and devel- have reservations, then how can it be principled to fuse What Tendency 1 clearly has not organisations together? grasped is the importance of these It is rather their task to find a the international locate and clarify those For Tendency 1 - the "Trotsky- disagreements which they in the IMG the central, so that the public polemic big question therefore remains: do between the WS and the IMG can

CHINESE LEADER DEAD

ashes of Chu Teh, peasantry. Chu a brilliant strategist. He has been called Chinese Jotte, and the Liberation Army, Napoleon' He pertected in Peking last method of guerrilla warfare and of tactical retreats, which was used so successfully from Yenan in 1947.

The defence and organisation of the 'Long March' of 1934-5 were Chinese Communist Party. under Chu's command. Chingkanshan In 1937 he headed the creation Mao-l'se - of the 8th Route Army and the 4th in 1928 - so Army, which together finished off romanticised by the Chinese both the Japanese and Chiang's indeed a most rump Kuomintang forces. With • the declaration People's Republic of China, continued his military commanding the army during the Korean War, and holding It followed on the massacres of position as vice-president of the defence council. His positions as vice president of the People's Republic and president the young Chinese of the permanent committee of the into the bourgeois nationalist National assembly were honorific: They were a tribute to a man who played vital role outcome of the revolution, was admired by millions of workers Here Mao and Chu set up a new and peasants for his courage, his determination and simplicity Chu did not, however, join the CP until late in his life. He was born in 1886, in Szechwan, into a rich This regime established for the peasant tamily and enjoyed the decadent fruits of a "wealthu harkoumunt Mandel develop to a higher level.

in this way can Tendency Only I's practice bear out its statement the logical es build a prie join our "The emergence of the Worker: League out of a struggle Socialist for Trotskyism in the degenerated International Committee represents the fight an important development for the , or if they reconstruction political the Fourth International." the two The need in our view is now to attempt to take up the struggle for Trotskyism the other degenerated body, the United Secretariat, of which the IMG is a feel are part. We wait to see which members of Trotskyist the Opposition take in that struggle.

between a political commissar and The anti-Manchu revolution of military 1911 and the corruption of the old 'the dynasty had a profound effect on 'Red him the He supported and fought with Sun Yat sen, broke with his old life- style and travelled to Europe. He joined the Communist Party in 1922 in Germany, at the age of He travelled Moscow aal returned to China in 1926. Throughout his life, however, he was a supporter of Stalinist policy Stalin's worst crimes of the against the Communist movement Chu and of Mao's leadership of the Chinese Communist Party. varcel. and his pitslige the achievement rest on his genius for military leadership. Even this, though, was disputed during Cultural Revolution In 1968 Chu was attacked by Red Guard posters against the supposed largely opponents of Mao on the Party leadershin. And Lin Piao - himself to be in the driven out as a 'Moscow agent' in 1971 - suggested that in reality it was Mao - not Chu - that led the Long March and the creation of the Eighth Route Army. In his last vears. however, Chu retained his senior though largely honorific positions, and at the beginning of this year his name relatively appeared as the signatory of attacks

INDUSTRIAL NEWS

£10,000 PER YEAR

Page 10 An intriguing insight into of privilege and the world hand-outs that cushions-full time union officials is to be found in

TOW

between leaders of UCATT and the

T&GWU.

The dispute is over which union snowa supply a new chairman 101 the Construction Industry Training Board - a job which carries a salary of at least £1,300 a year.

INCENSED

UCATT General George Smith, Secretary, was incensed when he heard that Mr Leslie Kemp, shortly full time secretary of to retire as

T&GWU

Group, the Construction had been appointed to the post.

Particularly when Mr Kemp's stated reason for retiring early (he 56) was grounds of 6*1l1 is only health" - yet it emerges that he has major already netted on posts Corporations various boards and totalling over £10,000 a year!

Only recently, Kemp was appointed chairman of the Corby Development Corporation princely £4000 a year of the neighbouring Peterborough Development Corporation - for another £2000 a year!

GRABBED

The UCATT leadership brought these matters to light letters 1n from Smith to three of their spon- MPs, not because the sored principles of trade unionism which by being abused daily Kemp but had practices, grabbed more than his share of the and thus obviously depriv- takings, et a ÚCATT nominee of the job.

In a startling set of "nego- tiations" the T&GWU Oxford• David District Secretary Buckle has recommended drivers deal for car ferry which includes a f14 a week cut in bonus payments. This deal confirms that the hall- mark of a bureaucrat is not that he has an office and a briefcase, not that he manoeuvres against militant workers and destroys trade únion democracy - but that he represents the interests of the employers.

This point is demonstrated with extraordinary clarity struggles of the ferry drivers - who mor cars from sher Co. driving Cowley from caI cars factories, ready for delivery to distributors. Buckle, an extreme right-winger, has used every trick in the bureau- crat's book to protect his chief drivers' in the ferry henchman branch, Henry Shepherd. Shepherd в 10: only assistant branch secre- chief negotiator (after cary and Bucklel - but is also senior jure

RETIRING-ON

Smith claims this is because the T&GWU has more pull with senior ministers than and other says: "Political nepotism 'does make for good parliamentary demo- cracy, and I think you will agree individual that

WILI

JEC

T&GWU

member appointed to in valued at total excess of £10,000 per annum when ill-health iș peculiar to say the least" For the working class the ques tion involved here is not a complex one of "parliamentary democracy" but one of the all-out fight against bureaucracy privilege within the unions themselves.

BACKBONE

people like Kemp It is precisely and the network of other appointed time officials within T&GWU which are the backbone of Jones's right-wing wage-cutting, job-slashing policies. These officials are the ones who argue for belt-tightening and accep tance of "inevitable redundancies' Yet they themselves daily abuse their powers and position to further their own interests - to the extent that Kemp can retire onto an income which none of his members will ever reach. The fight for the regular election of all full time union officials and for their salarv to be no more than the their average earnings memhers is the only answer to this kind of behaviour.

INQUIRY

T&GWU

same branches must demand an inquiry into the Kemp affair. It is worth

MPS

noting that obliged to

BONUS SLASHED -BY

T&G OFFICIAL

the right to remove Shepherd from his union positions Buckle was then forced to this at the

T&GWU

District Committee, and say that the Branch has the right to decide. But since then Buckle has manoeuvred to stop a branch meet- ing. from taking place. When finally pinned down to a date, he cancelled the T&GWU hall on the grounas that it was double booked.

But all this is only one side of the story. The primary question is with Buckle's relationship employers - not on a personal level (his son Alan Buckle holds a high as Group Traffic Coordin- position Jones their directorships and declare interests while clearly financial Kemp must be no exception as a union official with large numbers of undeclared and lucrative posts.

Workers must begin to scrutin- ise the behind the scenes activities of their officials, and take steps to remove those linked with manage.

ment. The deal Buckle is recom- table. mending reduces the bonus of the ferry drivers from over f20 a week to a flat £6 incorporated into the hourly rate. The renegotiation of the bonus was brought about by a change in the work pattern. Buckle told the branch meeting that the existing bonus was negotiated Then. теисси Te. entire employer's case, (backed up by the threat of redun- offer was rejected) dancy adding a few further points of his leaflet the drivers own, SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 14th July 1976

BLOW AGAINST

PARTICIPATION

He attended a Works Council An important blow against meeting with a prepared statement workers participation schemes and despite a 4-3 vote, management has been dealt by workers at refused to enter the text of it in F.H. Biddles, Nuneaton. which every the minutes go to Over the last three years the firm worker. "Works Council" In response to this the statement has notice the works consisting of three management was board where it caused considerable representatives and one shop-fioor from each of the interest. representative Attempts by management to get four sections. a replacement from Assembly were The of the Works purpose rejected by the workers there.

councu was to craw workers mIlO Works boost the new meeting joint efforts to OI Ent

CON-

no shop- Council called and pany's profits. was floor representatives attended.

Its uselessness to the workforce Management then cancelled the was demonstrated by the fact that, next one and will call another in despite persistent requests, nothing the August. was done about paintshop the Works opposition to windows which had remained un- arguing Council workers are opened for years. 1OW for a Health and Safety Committee "Assembly" The representative responsible to the Joint Shop who had sat on the council from its decided and inception to resign stewaras commmiltet So far, however, the convenor expose its collaborationist nature to call a meeting to has refused to the workforce. elect such a committee.

MORE JOBS!

DEMAND

COVENTRY

BUSMEN

Coventry's bus crews voted involved would mean the creation of twenty more jobs. This would last Monday (July 5th) to cost approximately 1900 a week- stage a series of lightening way from the £250,000 quite figure." strikes covering two days each Throughout the strike the right- week. Coventry Evening Telegraph This action follows wing manage- refusal has thrown its weight behind ment's to meet union demands for a reduced lunchbreak management. reporters When came to the shorten the working order to mass meeting they were surrounded day, which at present is around by busmen protesting the angry tone hours. attack on the dispute carried by the The crews have rejected manage- paper. Cuts in local government spend- hours would violate the govern- ing led to reduction have ment's pay limit and that the cost

WMPTE,

has West Midland Passenger subsidies to which to the fare announced the need for Transport Executive of implemen- increases. ting the reduction be The present dispute will obvious- €250,000 a year. ly be used as a cover for part of the One busman told Socialist Press: "We believe that the extra work increases.

BEHIND FIREMEN

DISPUTES

Now, supporting the Recent in the atter reports EC through the 'union's to get national press on a series of National Annual Conference disputes in the London Fire taking resolutions Brigade involving Fire Brigade lead national which could Union members have publicis- membership, the demands by the London union officials embark on ed number of festering seeitedly tact support ioom rith limited contained action which problems have been developing over a long period.

head office. In return for their support at the correct: that course conference for inaction by the EC, it Is ol should to union members unite the London officials are union defend against abusive authoritarian Then up ortent of their limited and fight for extent of limited their conditions of improvements demands are now likely to be met, service. of an with an offer What is perhaps surprising is that industrial relations in London Fire this militancy had been suppressed Brigade. local union officials unțil after the union's worth noting that in annual conference Strathclyde, Buckinghamshire. and May. had brigades which have At the conference, held in disputes on various issues (eg local EC were able to Bridlington, the payments and conditions of service) the support of the count the brigade union officials have had London FBU officials for the TUC their credentials withdrawn to force pay policy. the back normal membership The London delegation further working. backed the EC's policy fully The FBU opposed the f6 wage negotiating with, rather than limit but one year later with the the with Conlone help of the London delegates and demands for improvements for a recommendation -of the EC better 4140%

SHOCK

TUC

voted support

SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 14th July 1976

TASS EQUAL

PAY SELLOUT

TASS's claim to lead the would fight on equal pay for women received another dent last week with the settlement at the Metal Closures, West Brom- wich, makers of bottle tops.

vote! Women clerical workers who were looking f4 a week

TOT

increase, back-dated to December 1975 voted unanimously 29th allowed for strike action on July 2nd.

male postponed the action to duly bey to allow last minute negotiations to take place. The divisional local m officer, however, rights convinced himself that a successful strike was impossible because …ot the apparent hostility of some male workers. fight

DELAY

ship. On Tuesday July 6th he asked for a further 24 hours delay, and this period 111 negotiated an im- proved offer of £2.20 back-dated to February 16th 1976. He then recommended that this offer be accepted, saying that strike action would probably "split the workforce", and end in defeat.

His recommendation was thrown votes to 11. He then declared that I9 to 1l was not a sufficiently convincing majority disputes and asked if those against the strike

SEABOURNES

STRIKE

Drivers the at Nuneaton lucrative depot of Seabournes Shipping Co. - a haulage contractors amounts " engaged mainly in long dis- Both tance continental work - are in Council the second week of a strike for branch trade union recognition. bourn In a statement put out by the strike committee the drivers say: "The work force at the above company are on strike for the basic response. Trade Union right of recognition.

For almost for all the two months the workers have rightly demanded blacked and that this basic right should support. be Management. conceded by The Management's D. only response has been to remove some of the more

TEACHERS

TO TAKE ACTION

Pressure from the student teacher occupations and fur- ther announcements of mas- this year, remained sive cuts in education spend- ing have finally forced the by National Union of Teachers months. 'Action Committee' to speak The out. They have at last declared as official policy measures which are to cover for already being demanded and even than carried out in many areas unoffic- wiit condition ially by members, in spite of the vicious measures recently introduced by the union.

Max Morris, Chairman, 1S now saying "We decided to take the offensive". after allowing cuts right, This, and centre for the past year left The and more. The Oxford Divisional Secretary recently close detail the swi geing cuts he had already allow. d through, saying "enough is enor gh". Indeed on the same weekend as welcomed the Action Committee made its panied by announcement, tweive of the and® pupi countries biggest local authorities schools abide by the majority, virtually inciting them to say 'No'. He was then able to use this as evidence of a "split" and persuade women who had voted for strike action to abstain in a second

SHABBY

This whole shabby episode handful backward workers with the backing of the officials to sabotage the equal pay fight by the majority.

shows very well how the and District Trades Council willingness to struggle for their is not lacking in working It is the trade union leadership Which finds excuses to sabotage this basis of splits and on the indecisiveness that it, itself, creates but blames on the union member- necessary that the local TASS women's committee takes up this case and investigates the role of officials, and other

TANTS

recent disputes in the Birmingham wingers in Oxford are to

SUPERVISE

constitute" Representatives of the commit- Wednesday 14th July. tee should be delegated to supervise the activities of officials in future over equal pay and sex shackle the discrimination. delegates to the new Council.

Trade every worked flat out ing leadership. Secondly make sure 1UC has ruled work from Nuneaton advance any which has effectively cut some of model rules the workers' the "gag wages by substantial rule the Nuneaton Trades and the

T&GWU 5/166

nave subported the Sea- workers" action and have called on the T&GWU executive to make the strike official.

This call has as yet received no strike committee is calling Seabournes. wOrK to be for urgent financial Donations should be sent to: Colledge, 68, Ivanhoe Avenue, Attleborough, Nuneaton. This means teacher unemploy- will certainly top 20,000 Max Morris - Stalinist chairman of while the

NUT

has the NUT Action Committee.

virtually inert, giving no to the wave of occupations student teachers Action Committee has now decided to extend the action

OUT

taken by members in its chosen action areas to include: refusing more (previously the atter three days); refusing to cover unfilled vacan- cies; and refusing to teach classes ot more than 35 (30 in reception and infant classes).

THE BATTLE FOR

POLICY

TROTSKYISM

fact that

NUT

policy since 1969 has been to refuse to WRP opposition plus an teach any class over 30 shows how "extreme" this last measure is!

account of the expulsions All these moves, however inad- prepared by the and belated, Executive Committee of are to and should be accom- the Workers Socialist enquiries Into stalling League. figures individual Available from WSI. 21

• INDUSTRIAL NEWS

BRANDT

ASSEMBL

ANT

SOCIALISI

Gerry Casey, Chairman of Oxford Oxford Trades Council fights the cuts.

OXFORD & DISTRICT

TRADES COUNCIL

Following the disaffiliation Rules). of Oxford Trades Council. the To make doubly sure of this the TUC bureaucracy, jointly with supporters of the thingers in oxford treat right- moved a resolution saying: "A delegate refusing to accept the president's ruling as final shall, the Council on on a point of order by any delegate present, be suspended Before they start they are doing pation in the meeting". everything they can to completely democratic rights of

ONLY ANSWER

meeting will be "packed" meeting because virtually Union official has The only answer of the bureau- to get delegates and Stalinists to the move- who Will oppose the previous fight- forward of the working class ment and the struggle for the meeting will only leadership, is to try to tighten their be for the election of officers and bureaucratic hold. to accept a constitution. In order to Oxford Trades of continuing bureau- powerful record in the town; last cratic control over the Council the Friday they organised • out .of. order attended public meeting against the the dictatorship in India. that seeks to get rid of fought to establish this record will Rule 14 (renumber- silenced by ed as Rule 15 in the new Model Three months after shop stewards credentials were withdrawn by the Region 10 Committee of the T&GWU the shop stewards committee in Hull docks has capitulated to the bureaucracy and lifted the blacking of the Barge Aboard Catamaran (BACAT) system - which is a threat to jobs in the Port. Far from leading any against the T&GWU bureaucracy as

NOW!

Two documents of the League. Name Page 11'

HOT AIR

FROM

NUR CHIEF

NUR

President Da Bowman hit the headlines Monday with another blast hot air. After accepting each round cuts as they have been handed o by. the Labour government, he to the NUR conference Paignt That it may be necessary to "clo the bloody lot" the gover ment tries to implement its Gre Paper cut a furth LO 4,000 miles from the remaini 11,000 miles of rail network.

The reason for the militar rhetoric is ikely to become cle later in the week when eig motions up calling for cont return free collective bargai ing. Bowman may well rule these o of order in the same way that pa ruled out of order at th NUM conference the week before.

If this is so he needs some let talk to set the scene. Stalinists have from partici- alternative Council had a well Those who bureaucratic

HULL

STEWARDS

CAPITULATE

their part of the fight for democracy in

T&GWU

whole, the stewards resorted to bureaucratic methods themselves. The blacking was imposed by a mass meeting of dockers, yet they lited it simply on a decision of the stewards, then had their credentials restored by the grate- ful regional bureaucracy.

Their action has strengthened the T&GWU bureaucracy and has blow at the traditional fight independence and militancy of dockers in the port.

MORE DETAILS

Please send me more information about the Workers Socialist

AUSTRALIAN GENERAL

Page 12

STRIKE

Almost three million much workers struck against Aust- and Fraser ralia's right wing ishing government last Monday, paralysing the country in a 24 hour stoppage from mid- night on Sunday. Called by the Australian Coun cil of Trade Unions (ACTU) - the equivalent of the TUC in Britain - ment. the strike was officially supported by all but three of Australia's 130 trade unions. official The reason for the stoppage the decision of waN Fraser's Liberal Party-National Country Party coalition (in effect General Election to scrap the a Tory government) Medibank scheme for universal former health prepared by the Labour last government year, Whitlam's administration was railroaded out rigged efforts in a General called by Mtection Governor General. with the promised Fraser during claims in election campaign in November to keep Medibank, but now - along with many other public cuts lu effectively spending he has destroyed it. working class The levy to finance it will be easily be toppled.

MASS DEMO

IN SPAIN

Spanish week-old The cabinet has already been the biggest out- shaken by break of workers' demon- strations strations since the civil war.

In Bilbąo on Thursday July 8th, over 150,000 joined a march through the city organised by a of unemployed committee workers and supported by all the workers organisations major the Euskadi region. The slogans of the demonstra- tion were an amnesty for In political prisoners, political free- woman was doms and the reemployment of clothes jobless workers

JOINING

This joining of political and economic demands, which the Spanish Communist including Party opposed in order to workers consistently maintain collaboration sections of the bourgeoisie, marks important advance in the mounting struggle against fascism.

The huge scale of the Bilbao SUBSCRIBE to Socialist Press

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NAME .

ADDRESS

higher than planned on wage-earners but lower on the rich space is planned for a flout- "private sector" of the medical profession. But the massive response to the strike call was not just about the showed readiness of the Australian labour movement to take class action to oust Fraser's reactionary govern-

IMPOSED

Fraser was imposed in a snap last December, manipulated by the Queen's repre- General, Governor military intelligence officer, Sir John Kerr The strike is a huge blow at the Bob of

ACTU

Hawke to reach an "agreement" Fraser limiting wage All retum for tax commentators

CONCES

sions. It, shows that without the predict that £1000 million of efforts of the trade union bureau- additional • public cracy in holding action to a 24 cuts will be announced next this anti- hour protest stoppage, week by Chancellor Healey.

government could And

HE WILK

supporters of this plan to please the world's Confederation of British Industry is Tribunite MP Leslie Huckfield, Under-Secretary now Industry. of

ASLEF,

branch if Britain said that remain an industrial should put pitals", adding: do justice to both. We have got to put factories first". Huckfield simply demonstration (permitted by the logic of 'left' reformism - as soon local authorities under a new law) crisis emerges gave a stimulus to. an enormous rush to support capitalism, shelv- wave of anti-government demon- ing socialist (both permitted and for the indefinite future.

banned) throughout Spain in the Sounding just following few days. Huckfield went on to say:

POLICE

we can afford The police, who did not dare improvements to to attack the Bilbao march, have since moved in ferociously against

TASS STRIKE

the demonstrators Santurce (near Bilbao) murdered by plain of the Civil Relf's of Redditch have been on members Guard and others were injured, as strike a savage police of their

ASU

attacks in Madrid, Pamplona and has been sacked by management.

Sadabell near barcelona At the same time the regime is Relf's is for the Leyland factories faced by a new eruption of strikes national blacked, postal strike, suspended a few

BEHIND

months ago only through draiting the strikers into the army.

King Juan attemot to

THE

establish a more effective cabinet has collapsed as soon as it began.

SMOKESCREEN

£1.15 $2.30

. JUST PUBLISHED

.£4.60 £1.50 £3.00 .56.00 issues, I enclose £.... 40 pages

WSL, 31,

MORE CUTS COMING

Labour Party is pledged" now This position also argued at the TUC special confer- spending ence by speakers including AUEW President Scanion, and leader Tom Jackson. The "expansion the reactionary

TUC

worked for by and leaders simply bankers and the Labour of capitalist industry. expansion And of course it ignores complete- ly the objective crisis of capitalism which is the root of the present recession internationally.

In a speech to the Manchester Huckfield the rate It 1s ine Tall profit caused by the workings of wanted to capitalism itself which has created nation she the slump in investment and the "factories before hos- low level of production. "For the time being we cannot

RESTLELON

stands squarely in the way of fully utilising and developing the pro- forces, and which ductive admits the with the help of measures, thrown 1½ million onto the "lefts' the dole queues, workers' living standards.

policies as a matter Rather than muttering on and daydreaming like Callaghan, while creating more production", and further cutting unemployed, 'We have to expand our indus standards living through manufacturing base so that spending cuts, the

TUC,

211| with Huckfield and his Tribunite which the colleagues should be spearheading the fight for socialist, strategy. This would begin by a rejection TASS members at Christopher PARTICIPATION, cont'd from front page.

week and a half in sup- Longbridge convenor, shop steward who Robinson, who is joint chairman. These must 90% of the work carried out by men trade union principle; resign from collaboration scheme; Cowley where it is effectively the Ryder support and add their struggle to stop these sackings.

There is no longer the slightest Toom for .confusion. ting Ryder means standing four- square as part of management.

time At the workers must demand that books of both British Leyland and EPS itself be opened to inspection by elected trade union commit- tees. A thousand jobs are at stake.

deals and The secret connections must be with further plans to re- organise and speed-up workers in the Cowley factories (where fewer workers are being taken on to do

"BEHIND THE

SMOKESCREEN"

The final total for An analysis of the sectarian £537.56 - a little over £60 short of our target.

politics of the WRP Price 40p plus 10p p&p Coventry, £10; Oxford Assembly, £2.40; South London, Available from Oxford NHS, £30. Dartmouth Park Hill, Total so far: £153.90. London NW5 1HR SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 14th July 1976 TUC leaders Drain, Jackson and Scanion. They voted for the wage cutting 42% pay deal: knowing that more public spending cuts were on the way.

of wage control and all forms of that tinkering with capitalism - one of is Labour's of which worst National Enterprise Board sup-

UPW

ported by the Labourite letts'.

Instead workers in crisis-ridden of industry* industry must be mobilised in the the books of the fight open to show to the work- the employers, ing class the necessity for nation- alisation without compensation.

At the same time preparations made for threatened must be plants to be occupied, while of the nationalisation demand.

pressuring the trade union leader- generalise action in sup- ship to port of these struggles. of industrial earner production can take place, around itself which a programme of planned usetu public works allocated to nation- has, alised firms under the manage- of Healey's elected trade committees. slashed such a • programmie wan provide new jobs for the unem- brine, reduction pant aull "expanding production capacity The refusal of the 'lefts' and huge public union leaders to selvick base their verbal opposition to the along cuts on a fight for such a perspec- tive leaves them impotent in front of Healey alternative, of the determination and Callaghan make the to working class pay for the crisis.

the work than are being sacked by EPS). All information surrounding.

to these moves must be made avail- return able. This will show that the only way that jobs can be protected in to the the long term is to make EPS a nationalised part a planned OI under inde my organent of the Implemen- under the management workers themselves.

EPS

This programme is not new to Trades the Banbury workers.

EPS

5/104 Council and the

T&GWU

branch have for nearly a year had a policy of fighting for work sharing full the on pay, opening of the books and nation- financial in case of threatened alisation exposed, redundancies. Now is the time to implement The fight this policy in practice. will be supported by all principled trade unionists.

£600 FUND

Monthly Development Fund reached the June With the holiday season now upon us it is important that the fight for finance is not allowed to slip as comrades go off on their holidays.

We have so far received the following amounts towards the July fund.

3:C, Er.00; North, London, tr: £21.50; Aylesbury, $1.00; North London,