Socialist Press no. 44

DEMAND PAY RISES

TO MATCH INFLATION

REJECT ZIMBABWE

WAGES CONFERENCE OCT 24: DETAILS P.5

The combined political and financial crisis which erupted last week confirms that once more what in this confronts workers period is NOT a "choice" between accepting pay cuts or facing inflation, but the necessity to defend the value of the wage packet through the fight for increases to keep pace with inflation - a sliding scale of wages. upheavals which And the erupted at the Labour Party Con- ference and on the med to exchange markets confirmed the hilt our analysis that the TUC's stage-managed 17-1 vote for the Social Contract is not accepted by the working class.

The seamen's for strike vote over pay claim, 2CT0n although eventually diverted into the haggle for fringe benefits, struck a body-blow at the cabinet- TUC conspiracy to thrust the economic crisis onto the shoulders of the working class. Only matter of weeks after the TUC Congress it has raised a huge question mark over the ability of Murray and Jones to subject their members WaLC cuts and to carve from them the pounds flesh demanded by British and foreign bosses.

DROPPED

This is why the pound dropped 10 cents in 48 hours last almost The banks, speculators and week.

IMF

officials direct Wine government's economic

LADOST

policy are concerned not with the hypocritical rhetoric at the end of Blackpool pier, but with the fact that in the form of concessions over fringe benefits - the seamen have opened the first breach in the bureaucratic dyke erected by Jones and Murray against the pent-up anger and combativeness of the trade union movement as a whole. Last week's developments underlined in the most emphatic of the terms the correctness decision by the Campaign for in the Labour Move- Democracv ment to call the October 24th Conference on Wage Control and Union Democracy'

NUMBER ONE

The Workers Socialist League fully this Conference. supports The of the detence wages of British number one question politics today. Within the working class there

SOCIALIST

PRESS *

ENGLAND,

EXPECTS.

has accumulated the most intense and justified hatred of the 'social contract and all those who foist it on workers backs. Similarly, the violent struggles which erupted last week on the night shift of the Ford factory at Dagenham stem from the fact that almost two years of Labour- led wage cutting have left workers in the position that - with prices

DEAL!

ENGLAND EXPECTS...

ENGLAND EXPECTS...

ENGLAND EXPECTS.

increasing almost every day cannot afford lay-offs, they just even short ones, any more.

Yet virtually every trade union bureaucrat in the country insists that pay claims must stay within 42% government's wage- cutting guidelines. Labour Party "lefts', showed what headed by Benn, they were made of by voting on "solution" to the The Rhodesia question poses an challenge to the urgent labour movement in Britain imperialist and other countries. Active solidarity must be built now with all sections of the black movement in Southern Africa pre- pared to resist the united efforts of Kissinger, Callaghan and Vorster to ensnare them into a web of compromise whose real purpose is to prevent the total collapse of racism and capitalism in Southern Africa. The clear aim of the Kissinger "solution" is to head off the growing armed revolutionary struggle in Zimbabwe. Smith's white racists cannot resist the armed rebellion on their tne Alncan govemn- ment would further threaten its

FORTNIGHTLY PAPER OF THE

WORKERS SOCIALIST LEAGUE

NO 44 * 6th OCTOBER 1976 * 10p the first day of the Conference to support government's economic 'strategy' - pay cuts and all.

INSIDE

MANAGEMENT

MAO (Part Two)...... P.3 Meanwhile the British Oxygen African The fight for Company prepare pay increases to Unions in S. Africa . ... P.8 management of almost £50 per week, more than the total take.

Why we Resigned from the home earnings of millions

IMG.....

workers. And the response of the 35-hour week government to this is simply to The prepare a police enquiry into how fraud... BOC's plans had leaked! Detend the Method of the None of the waffle, whether Transitional Programme, 'left' right of the or from the Labour Party Conference offers split in the Greek the any way forward to the millions section of the IC... .PP.6-7 of workers who are threatened by the full savagery of the world economic crisis. The only answer is policies which defend the living standards of every section of workers.

This must centre not only on necessary to protect living fight for substantial wage the standards - are viciously opposed increases to pull back wages lost by every type of bureaucrat and over the past year, but on a sliding "left' and

COLLARSI

scale of wage increases to keep within the Labour Party and the with the cost of living pace trade unions (as well as by the democratically worked out Communist Party). by elected committees of trade All of these people, openly or unionists and housewives.

covertly agree that the workin lass must be made to pay for th

MINIMUM

crisis. Cont'd on Back Page, Col. 4.

These policies - the minimum own life by over-extending itself majority for decisions; an interim militarily north of Limpopo; and appointed council of ministers with a black chief minister and the United weakened by Vietnam to risk a ministers of defence and similar adventure. internal security; the ending once It is therefore no love of justice the interim government was set and democracy but a desperate up, of sanctions and the guerilla effort at self preservation from a war: and monetarv compensation position of weakness which made for the whites After the five black presidents Kissinger and Callaghan plot with Vorster to ditch lan Smith's 12- (of Zambia, Tanzania, Botswana, year old racist regime, which was Angola and Mozambique) had "rejected" the an embarrassment to guardedly plans colonial plans for South Africa.

in that form, Kissinger (who says it's Callaghan's plan anyway)

DURESS

denied that Smith's was the

CONCCE VOISION

The "settlement" which Smith Whether not there is or said in his broadcast that he was correct version remains forced duress It to accept complete mystery. hardly unact rule matters, since Kissinger's aim was

AHOL

defined to mean 'one person, one through a combination of threat and bribery, to get all the parties voTe two years, a neu constitution to be drawn up by an to agree on a conference at which appointed council of state with the horse-trading could be done.

blacks and equal numbers or Cont'd on Page 2, Col 1. whites, requiring two-thirds a

Page 2 Zimbabwe All parties, that is, except for the authentic representatives of the black 95% majority population of Zimbabwe, of the actual victims Smith's repressive racist regime.

their growing against militancy that impatience and and Callaghan, through Kissinger the conference which Crosland has now summoned, aim to create a white bloc of imperialists, racists and collaborationist black leaders before the black revolution can win the decisive victory which is its destiny. Whether or not Kissinger and Callaghan can gain even a tempor ary respite against this unstoppable revolution depends on the now of the black actions leaders in Zimbabwe and the African states around it.

DIVISIONS

The numerous divisions among represent partly the these leaders personal squabbles of opportunists and partly a real fight of principle between those leaders who the prepared to sabotage today's struggle for a snare oI spoils and those who . have stil resisted, though SUle falteringly, with any comprom the imperialists. Joshua Nkomo, leader of ZAPU, (Zimbabwe African People's Union) whose opportunist shifts in the past have reduced though not destroyed Zimbabwe, his support inside was the only of the Zimbabwe by Kissinger his leaders African tour.

TURKEY

aftermath In the of the 350,000-strong general strike, massive state repression con- tinues in Turkey. While still in strike the was progress about a thousand workers, including major trade union leaders, and thousands more were arrested. sacked. charged with participation in an illegal general strike.

While the union have leaders since been released, many factories the sackings remain and in some areas strikes continue for the reinstatement of those victimised in the struggle.

WITCH-HUNT

The biggest witch-hunt ever launched in the Turkish workers movement was mobilised against the stoppages by the government, while they conducted police raids on unon beacorers no moved detachments army into the factories. In two of the biggest oil refiner- ies, Ipras and Aliago, 90% of the sacked, work force has .been and replaced by unskilled fascist labour, ....Cont'd from Front Page Nkomo has expressed "doubts" "aspects" of the plan but is about evidently prepared to participate in Crosland's

COCICCE

and in the interim government it is supposed to establish.

The same is true of Bishop Abel Muzorewa whose African National Council, significant in the rejection of the deal between Smith and the Tory government in 1971, , is now and also of the virtuallv defunct, Rev. Ndabaninge Sithole, who has been virtualy isolated since he was ousted from the leadership of ZANU (Zimbabwe African National Union) several months ago.

ZANu tonder Robert Mugese have leadership alone declared their outright oppos- Kissinger/Callaghan ition to the plan. But Mugabe has still participated Zam bian discussion in Lusaka, the capital, with Nkomo and is without doubt under huge oressure from the presidents or the five "front-line" states, of some whom are clearly anxious to retreat as soon as possible to a back seat in the fight against Southern Atrican racism in order to preserve the they have themselves usurped from the masses. Of the five; only Samora Machel from Mugabe's

ZIPA

guerillas (Zimbabwe People's Army) mostly has still refused to more or less endorse a modified version of the imperialists' plan.

Repression Follows General Strike has shown itself which at once incapable of running the refineries.

The strikes hit the steel, textile, mines and and car industries, the

SANCES

industrial centres the biggest ever mobilisation of Turkish workers.

"LEGAL" CHANNELS

Though for the moment a return to work has been secured. this in no implies the strength of the way workers' movement is inadequate topple the right wing National Front Indeed the government. government still has not yet legis- lated the special state security of courts the proposal which gave rise to the strikes.

of Revol- The Confederation utionary Workers Unions, dominat- ed by the Stalinists of the Turkish Communist Continues to direct the strenge of peaceful, class into "legal' channels. They call on workers to: "Bring the NF down govern- ment in legal ways forming government with democratic rights and freedoms and which will bring

INTERNATIONAL NEUS

These leaders, as long as they the continue to oppose imperialist design for Southern Africa, must be given uncondit- ional support by the British labour movement. But if they too should compro- mise there is nevertheless no doubt that the liberation struggle will continue, not only among the the guerillas and masses inside South Africa Zimbabwe but in That struggle must also receive the full and unconditional political and material help of the British working class. implicit in the Kissinger/ Callaghan/Vorster plan that, once a the country into the line of demo- cratic regimes; peace social progress will be among the target to be attained." In seeking this illusory "demo- cratic" solution the Stalinists look the national bourgeoisie more and its strength of the working class.

This has led them to subordinate of the the independent struggle working class behind the left dema- Republican Sopular Party leader Ecerit bourgeois who tells workers to wait for the 1977 general election before doing any- thing!

ISOLATED

Ecevit has managed to win the support not only of the Stalinists but also of the 19 social democratic unions in the other big confedera- tion the Confederation OI Turkish Workers Unions. And it was his holding back from call to action against the ally National Front government which ensured that the more militant workers were eventually isolated as the general strike wore on.

SPAIN

Another general strike on September 27th brought the whole Euskadi (Basque) region Spain to of northern complete standstill. 500,000 workers Well over for stopped work the day and demanding demonstrations.

TO HEL

amnesty for political a complete commemorating -the prisoners five political militants whom political act had Franco as his last shot just one year ago. of Biscay In many factories the strike had fact been continuous since the previous in general strike weeks earlier. This longer term stoppage represents increasing discontent at the limited objectives which are these being set by the itaucIs I0I SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 6th October, 1976

ISRAEL

ARAB WORKERS in Israel and Bank and the West occupicd Gaza regions staged two hour general strike on 28th September against the recent Koenig report.

This report produced by the * Jewish governor of Northern Israel racist advocates, most Ine • language, a programme of forced population control for Arabs in collaborationist government exists in Zimbabwe, the imperialists will order Jewish domin- pitative be prepared to use force to protect it against a principled black libera- The report has outraged the whole Arab population of Israel.

tiont truste. The limited protest of last week must be a priority demand in is undoubtedly a sample of growing the British labour movement that militancy among the Arab popula- the Labour government be forced to abandon its policy of support for tion who are being subjected to increasing repression in many ways.

racists and collaborationists, and to replace it by one of sending arms and material assistance to the black liberation throughout

POLAND

movement Southern Africa. imperialist plan for the NO Zimbabwe! the black workers and Arms peasants! to the black liberation Victory THE BRUTAL JAIL sentences struggle! passed on Polish workers at Radom supporting September, demonstrations against food price were inflicted rises with in June. the aid of massive police intimid- ation and violence according to reports published in Paris last week On two occasions, of young workers attempted to the Radom courthouse to hear the Ecevit of course could be expec- proceedings. ted to do • nothing else. Th taken, handcuffely to sted represents the native Türkish bour- taken, handcuffed, geoisie, and fears the working class adjacent police station where one far more than he fears the fascists.

of them, Ludvik Dorn, was abused Jew" and physically

ILLUSIONS

maltreated. When released, they again tried to enter court, were A crucial political problem for arrested again after the trial, and all Trotskyists in Turkey is therefore of them were beaten up, with Dorn the breaking of the illusions and another, Mareh Tomczyh, Ecevit created the Stalinists, by being beaten on the soles of their and turning the workers in both feet. the CRWU and the CIWU towards committee of liberal and the building an independent intellectuals was formed Christian workers' party such as the Turkish in Poland on September 23rd, Labour Party. give support to the workers facing The recent moves of the bour- repression after June strike geoisie to legislate new repressions Gierek wave, which forced the with together an escalation all the regime to withdraw outright fascist attacks on workers threatened price rises. show clearly that the employers The committee denounces the are seriously planning to smash the fact that 'For the first time in organisations of the working class.

several years, physical violence was The moves already made against used during interogations, and fascist attacks must be consolidated number states that great 01 into workers detence souads. and workers have been attacked either the broadest united action by police and legal action, or by mobilised. sacking them from their jobs.

Three General Strikes stoppages which each time show agreement by

LOVENTICE LO

negotiate on the strikers' demands.

the complete unity and massive strength of the whole working class This concession was reportedly against the fascist government.

made on the direct personal inter This confined the vention of the king on behalf of not Euskadi region. On the same day as those sections of the ruling class the Euskadi strike, a general strike who feared the workers' reactions spread through the Canary Islands to the use of blackleg workers by in protest against the killing of a the post office management.

demonstrator by the police.

But the workers only agreed to October: 1st And then unsuccess to weird further general strike was called in fully struggling the against Communist Party leaders who were nurder of a demonstrator this tim main advocates of reportedly the the death squad, Guerillas of fascisi calling off the action. Christ the This is a further case, to add to the previously reported in many Socialist of the rapidly tres universal as the others but still conflict between the growing brought most of the major factories increasingly militant MOVe ment and the class collaborationist to a halt. The three-week postal workers' Stalinist leaders of the Spanish Communist Party strike ended last week with

A REVOLUTIONARY GENERATION

SOCIALIST PRESS, H'ednesdey 5th Ocsober, 1976

MAO

THE PASSING OF

As the Chinese Communist Party and the Red Army were built up, they showed them- selves to be the only consist- fighters ently successtul against the Japanese imperial- ists and their various puppets and supporters. The bourgeois Kuo Min Tang, on used the the other hand, arms provided by Britain, Germany, the United States and other capitalist powers much more against the Communists than against the imper- falist invaders. Was Mao then to

WIDHH

offer an alliance with constantly Tang Chiang Kai- Kuo leader Japanese? Not shek against the necessarily. cannot be said that he Rut it served the interests of the Chinese masses by surmendering the identity of the Red Atmy into the Kuo Min Tang. Many hundreds of thousands of fighters were killed as a result.

OPPOSED

Mi nees. He beyond hepoed actively opposed of alliances. the raising of socialist aims for the anese cecolt nIeIE Not only did he release Chiang after his kidnap 1936, he also 111 him well sought cooperation with after the defeat of the Japanese in 1945. He negotiating with the was well shadow the Dobigcolsie after coming to power in 1949!

Behind this policy stood which Stalinist Russia, _recognised and supported the Chiang regime until the end, and urged Mao to do the same. Mao set out the justification for this position in his article On New Democracy, published in January 1940, when he asserted that: "today is not yet the time to The introduce socialism. present task of the revolution in China is to fight imperialism feudalism, and and socialism is out of the question He tried to qualify this by main- taining that, nevertheless the Chinese revolution "has long become a part of the proletarian- socialist world revolution.

As late 1945, Mao still asserted that: "the Chinese people cannot, and therefore shoud attempt

NOL,

build a socialist state system' 1949 the People's and in when Republic was prociaimed, was said to be an alliance of four classes including the native capitalists.

POLICIES

It has been argued that these policies "proved themselves in the success of Mao and his followers in coming power, and the ultimate elimination of the main centres of private capitalism.

Others that Mao have argued 'empirically broke from Stalinism' ana became for a time something else, a special kind of revolution- ary. Others Mao suggested that succumbed to the *pressure of the which masses', forced him to establish, despite himself, a workers the possibility state that of the establishment of socialism.

None of these arguments provide a correct explanation of the basis of the successtul overthtow of canita - ism in China. The success of Mao's was not achieved anu party •because he sought to make class alliançes, but because he • W N unable to sustain them. The general line of his policy, if not necessariv al the detais were furthermore clearly consistent with those advocated by the Stalinist

OPPRESSED

MASSES

REVOLUTION.

movement on a world scale.

And it should not be forgotten that came

IRELO

through the strength of mass mobil- through the efficiency isation, but of his peasant army at a time when the mass struggle was on the ebb.

The Mao's COneN

SUCCOS

the defeat of the Japanese after was, as he himself was well aware, ani international one, where imper- ialism was weak and divided and the working class everywhere initially on the advance.

ALLIANCES

Like Stalinists everywhere, Mao fought the alliances

TOT

class in this period, just capitalist France and Itlay, the as, Stalinists strike-breaking

TOHCU

capitalist governments. fault of his It was through no own that Mao found himself unable He negotiated to do the same thing. for 43 days in 1945 to find a basis for a similar alliance with Chiang He discouraged the outbreak of strikes and other struggles in mass the big cities at the same time.

China But the bourgeoisie itself was too historically weak, and for the its international allies moment incapable of organising its defence. of Mao's famous uriusl aphorisms "The was спешу advances, enemy In the period tetreats, we pursue. after the end of the Japanese War he applied this in a special way, by retreating and catling for compro- Kuo Min Tang when with the JuNC the working class was advancing, especially the big struggles after 1945, and by advocating struggle only revolutionary Chiang and his forces advanced against him! Tim Wolforth in his Theory of well Structural Assimilation has for the basis the expressed

LUNE

away from alliance with the Kuo Tang Min towards the seizure of

SECOND AND FINAL PART OF OUR TROTSKY-

IST ASSESSMENT OF THE LIFE OF THE MAN WHO

LED THE MOST IMPORTANT UPSURGE OF THE

SINCE THE RUSSIAN

power: *The real cause was not the pressure of the masses ' but rather the pressure of Chiang! After atising e peto crush the mos stilising the to crush the mass movement Chiang then moved

CCP

to annihilate the directly itself. Only when its very existence ahe ColP ilve in oppostaon id

CCP

move opposition Kai-shek Chiang and which was to culminate in battle victory in 1949. It should be added that by the rupture with Chiang, the period of post-ear compromise between Stalinism and imperialism on a world scale was coming to an •bureaucracy and the Soviet ena East and looking both to the was West for ways to defend itself against the inevitable conflicts with the imperialist powers. Thus Mao was compelled to take revolutionary struggle as the up international mass offen- sive subsided The struggle for power was defensive both on a national and an international scale. succeeded and because the wreakness division of international imperial- and the lack of allies for the ism, Chinese bourgeoisie itself.

Mao not only did not seek to set up a socialist republic in 1949, he pushed back the working class from deriving from the impetus brought about his of by seizuIe power, Chin In May 1950 miners in S,no ee mi, fore presumge t act were murdered, and more than on their own initiative.

SHOT DOWN

At Tiensin in the same month, casuaities al factory where striking workers were shot down by machine guns.

while Mao's happened government was offering loans on easy terms to small capitalists, and insisting that his government was a Mao with friend Nixon last year.

were brought to an end by ordes parties which had no basis and no from above. The youth who questioned th direction However, there was no social or of the revolution weI 'ultra-left' and the WOrkers wh fought for improved condition suffered from 'economism'.

1953 is here, US army thinly Only the Party leaders the disguised as a "UN peace-keeping define the limits alowed țo force" through North debate, and its direction.

advanced Since 1953, the bureaucracy ha Korea to the Chinese border.

tried to hide behind the illusion A possible rallying point for pro- the "Great Leap Forward' and 'sel capitalist elements within China reliance' to mask the difficulties c was being provided. Once Mao acted defen- economic development. again, "class He broke from his sively.

INDEPENDENT

the alliance' policy, expropriating capitalists and redistributing main Soon afterwards the first By acquiring their own indepe the land. tied to their of the five year plans was initiated.

ha same time as doing this, At the th denied democrațic he completely Russians, and turned instead on a and rights to the working class international level to allies killed many imprisoned OI the FNLA in Angola, and the Sha of those who had built hundreds tl the revolutionary movement.

blackest figures in Chinese history

EMPIRICAL

Ievoluuonary placed at the head oi one oi tl Since that time, the Chinese greatest mobilisations of the mass bureaucracy has reacted empirically the mass within

SUIGD

tronken ilare. Conținually wracked with internal crisis only rarely brought future fate of the Chinese movement, they will be able to go beyond the limi have so far resisted not only the of Liu right-ward leaning politics st Shao-shi, disgraced in the Cultural out this burea Revolution, and Teng vilification against whom the proletarian and peasant masse and programme and economic socai acveoplc inte and participation . in the national revolutionary struggle.

As Trotskyists, as revolutiona internationalists, we will contin to study and draw inspiration fro the Chinese Revolution. But we w look at it critically, objectively at as a whole. will certainly not through the prism of the sickeni cult personality that surrounded Mao in recent years.

We will remember the mar revolutionary traditions, often no suppressed and forgotten, that we to make the greatest revolution our generation.

LEFT OPPOSITION

We will remember Chen Tu-hs of the leaders of ti one first Chinese Communist Party, supporter of the International Le Opposition in the 30s, imprison by the Kuo Min Tang and harass miserab the ССР, dying circumstances in 1942. We • also War remember •WIll Shih-wei, who tried to raise ti of banner communist .debate Yenan, and was tried and exil for his pains, being killed by C security forces in 1947. We will also Ki remember Kang, a native of Shensi provinc who built the there befo

DUTEV

the arrival of the Red Army, bi after Was Equi U DemASTee

CISTO Y

revolutionary struggle, ated by Mao in 1953. There who disa! Chou En-lai, Lin Piao and Mao in 1967 were many peared in those and har • *HE never been heard of. As was pointed out in Sociali continues. Press number 7 of Ist May 197 have also apparently 1nty proved unable to integrate those a of Trotskyists number included in this total, like sections of the bureaucracy radicals' of Shanghai founder of the the Ch'ao-lin "Young Hong-wen, Tseng-tung, of by Wang Chiang represented Shanghai labour H which some links with the movement, Claya Chi-shen and Ying Kwan, studer working class. leaders from the 2Õs, and Lin Hua

STALINIST

from the anti-Japanese resi hua, tance of the 30s. Instead, ascendancy seems to be the bureaucrats of the If impossible to kno moving whether, these comrades are no classic Stalinist type, notably the we can at least b alive or dead, policeman now former secret sure that the Chinese revolution Prime Minister Hu Kuo-feng.

revolution also, and that th numerous conflicts within azerr struggle to continue and extend this cloistered caste have only on be taken up by tho only occasions erupted into the memory Brief outbursts of faithful to their an movement. traditions. democratic debate in the 'Hundred 1957 and the Flowers' ‹pemoc im By John Docherty Cultural Revolution a decade later

поде 4

JAIL FOR

RIGHT TO WORK

MARCHER

being made On Monday 27th Septem- marchers are the

TUC

This is why the first batch of the ber leaders immediately attack them as 43 'Right to Work' marchers "Trotskyite boot-boys', because the charged after police had TUC leaders are in support of the attacked their it march as Labour government and are reformist allies. came through North London To fight now on unemployment came up in Court. is not to get workers or bureau- of the Michael Cne marchers, 'Right to crats to agree with tne Lynch, was jailed for six months.

Work' or to a 35-hour week (even This of shows that sentence Jones talks about this). several years is likely for the march

NEW LEADERSHIP

who organiser, Deason JOlI charged with than much more Lynch. politically for a new leadership in whole labour movement " he the trade unions which has a pro- condemn this punitive; must and a campaign political sentence be started for the release of must Lynch and against the sentencing of workers and the unemployed as to Jeason. what is necessary, ie just demon- WS will fight for such a clear political differences with the John Deason, at present on £2,500 'Right to Work' march non-political breaking up of the banners and by the limitation the demands to straight trade union differences Despite these with the IS's campaigns, we call on Unemployment is a result of the all WSL members and supporters these organise defence of moment is being run by a Labour 'Right to Work' marchers no are attacked as part of an attack unemployment immediately comes Delta up against this government and the on all those in the labour move opposed the to organised strength capital- ment oi the of this Labour policies ist state. This is why the 'Right to Work' government.

...BUT POLICE

IGNORE RACIST

MURDER

Two white youths burned both on the window and outside.

The lady in the opposite house to death a 76-year old Indian said she thought she saw them try Mohan Mrs. Devi woman She reported to to get in the house. Gautan, in the garden shed of the policeman that they were her home in Leamington on white, 18-20, young. But nobody came to see the 23rd September. 27th fingerprints of the though Her clothes were set alight with they had told us not to smear them old newspapers. By the time she because they wanted to photograph dragged back into the house was them. to die, three-quarters of her body This inactivity on the part of the was burned. been police common In an interview, her son Saudhu feature to the many racist attacks what she had told Socianst press and incidents that have taken place said before losing consciousness: Leamington since the wave of 1n "Last Thursday racist hysteria in June. she•said: Two mother's statement Two people were put in hospital men got in the house wearing by an attack as they walked home One man pulled masks and gloves. charges from a party; no mouth and the other one brought. started searching for papers - and found the papers in the cupboard.

SMASHED

took me outside into the *They shed and started burning me with When five racist youths attacked the paper. After this they brought a bus crew in August only one was me back to the sitting room where charged. I was sitting before they took me had Shops and houses have o They shook their fists before windows smashed, various indivuals have been attacked, spat upon and they went. abused, without any activity from This was not the first time that the police. Mrs Gautan had been picked upon Yet the police have been quick by the racists. A frail woman, she to exploit the Gautan murder as an петет left the house. She had the harass immigrant excuse to the obviously been chosen as population in the working class target by these thugs. areas of Leamington. described a previous They have set about not tracking incadent: down young white thugs They came into the house on responsible, but gathering informa- Jane 27th after 11.30 at night. tion on immigrant families, their only into my tried to go time of entry into this country, and mother's room. other personal details. Then she screamed and they ran the Although unable to deny We went to the police and existence of the two youths (who may. the beard a se tement from my mother cime to our house. where they were seen by killing) the of the police scene they coukl see fingerprints pretend to be dumbfounded by the

OXFORD TEACHERS

STRIKE

and Over 4,000 teachers demonstrated in others September 21st Oxford the £5 million cuts against package proposed by the local Tory Council as part of the Labour government's spending cuts. This turnout Iepresents into struggle tremendous advance from a group previously hostile to action. Yet demonstration and protest is not enough to avert this attack on educational jobs, conditions What action. standards. union leaders propose?

PONTIFICATING

1,000 of the demonstrators crammed the town hall, only to selected battery of trade union leaders strutting and pontifi- cating. "lack of motive". The local paper reports them as "speculate" feeling they the youths entered the as to why house. No such doubt exists in the Community generally They reject such farcical explan- "suicide" "family problems* "theft". pointed out that: wanted to steal any- the house, my mother thing from was wearing her jewelry and money foos on the table which they never The establishment of workers' Leamington groups in defence course that can the only prevent the intimidation of immi- grant workers by racist thugs A centralised and widely publi would enable a cised organisation concentration guards at the scene of any attack.

DANGEROUS

It is the task of both black and white workers to make any fascist or racialist offensive a dangerous one for those involved. done is shown by an incident in August, where, at

SOCIALIST PRESS,

TH/ Some of these leaders were not prepared go through the even to motions of fighting. Steadman, of the Oxfordshire Secretary division as above con ted chaired the who meeting, was meeting finished in time that the (for teachers to get back to school!)

not in further action

"UNIQUE OCCASION"

"This," Steadman "is said, occasion; there has never unique been anything like it before, and if County Council behaves the sensibly, there won't be anything like it again."! NUT President Alf Wiltshire did not add much to this barren picture from stressing that apart "in excess" of proposed cuts were the goi time, timed at es disarming line, aimed political opposition to the Labour government, was taken up by right- wing Trades Union Counci Presi- dent John Power (recently installed in that office by the TUC officials who had bureaucratically disaffil- iated the old Oxford Trades Council). five • minutes notice, ten people mobilised the prevent fascist National Party distributing leaflets. They were quickly driven from Leamington's main street and have not been seen there since.

It been the consistent has Workers position of the Socialist League in Leamington that workers defence must be organised as soon as possible.

DEFENCE COMMITTEE

At the June Trades Council rally and at the well- racialism, agalist attended meeting afterwards the defence advocated workers pointing out that no committees, reliance could be placed in the Indian police (as the reformist leaders had suggested). Although a provisional commit- tee was elected, it never met, owing prevaricallol including the organisations, so- of the IWA called "revolutionaries (GB) (Naxalites). But if the wave of racist violence that has swept the town and led to the vicious murder of Mrs Gautan is to be ended, then the immediate establishment of joint workers defence is vital. Wednesday oth Uctober, 1s10 To listen to Power no one would government imagine the Labour had ever suggested cuts. Indeed he answer to vote proposed Labour at the next county counci elections!

MILITANCY

the Of the of cuts are course the Labour direct product government willingly implemented in many areas by Labour councils.

But militancy among teachers is the escalating, retlected sanctions pressed for by NAS/UWT and NUT members, centring on a refusal to cover for absent teachers.

Power But the policies so far adopted to the task. They are inadequate must be combined with the fight scale of education a sliding for spending, and broadened to include joint action, with all public sector social service unions affected and by the cuts To develop this joint fight it is

NUT

for members to important campaign for one-day strike action NUT contingents to join with

NUPE

Servants

(CPSA),

Civi mass lobby and NALGO on the of for November Parliament called 17th. The June demonstration AT A MEETING called by the International Socialists and the two Workers Indian Associations on Sunday October 3rd the following the WSL was moved by passed unanimously by the 60 peopic prescilt. That a Leamington Defence Committee be

USING

the defence of immigrants and their property activities of working class organisa- meetings tions against attack by fascists and racialists. That the committee be 2. composed of all those prepared to actively participate in defence work and that shall meet once month. 3. That an Executive Committee all those be representing immigrant, trade union and class political working involved (on the basis of one repres- which entative per organisation) would prepare in detail proposals for the running of defence in this town and would be responsible for the day-to-day organisation This Executive Committee to be responsible the fall defence

Pound's Slump Confirms

POLYTECH SACK THREAT

SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 6th October, 1976 Need For Wages Conference

CAMPAIGN FOR DEMOCRACY IN THE LABOUR

MOVEMENT

Conference on

WAGE CONTROL AND UNION DEMOCRACY

Sunday 24th October, Digbeth Hall, Birmingham at 10 am Credentials, 50p, from Kevin Lee, Campaign Secretary, 44, Devonshire Road, Handsworh Wood, Birmingham 20.

The Campaign for Democ- on to say what these measures are racy in the Labour Movement, likely to include: the committee 'Further cuts in public spending campaigning and the further demolition of the for the October 24th Confer- social services; a possible mini Wage Control and budget to increase direct or indirect Trade Union Democracy has increase taxation; an the issued a new statement to minimum lending rate and interest and Trade Union branches possibility posity supply a reduction in the following the plunge of the pound last week. these things would force up says the com- statement, Speaking of the development of mittee campaign the statement inemployment rapidly, not only in explains that when the committee the public sector but, through trade out to organise the the conterence manufacturing last July "We did from the industry particularly motors.

SO "The conviction that the class the Labour working would not accept the 4⅓% ceiling Government and the TUC that high wage settiements imposed on wages are responsible for inflation them by the and the weakness of the pound has TUC and the Labour Government." been demolished by these events.

The f6 limit successiully

LEADERSHIP

imposed and living standards have substantially fallen the pound yet The committee chose October collapses and inflation races out of for the Conference says the state- control." ment "because we were convinced Socialist Press very much agrees that this see with this perspective and the aims struggles wages in which the of the conference; to bring together quality of leadership the would De the wages struggie, the attacks central issue which trade union democracy launched on programme for action would be workers the bureaucratic trade decisive.' leaders, and the programme "Recent events," says the Com- if workers are to defend necessary "have confirmed this mittee, their living standards very spective and have in view our powerful combination in this heightened the urgency for and the situation. importance of the Conference.

"Three weeks ago the decision

SLIDING SCALE

of the seamen to strike over wages forced settlement fringe on The demand benefits which drove the first crack contained in the Conference resolution for a sliding in the social contract. . scale wages Last during the Labour to defend living week. standards is seen clearly as the only Party conference, the pound effective collapsed, policy defend resulting in an applica- tion to the IMF for a massive new working class against inflation.

It is clear that the Conference loan. make important contribu- wolf an

CONDITIONS

tion to the struggles of the working class in this period. The IMF promptly announced At its meeting last Saturday the that stringent measures to Organising Committee further reduce living standards will plattorm including speakers from be a condition of that loan."

sections of workers who have been The committee statement goes in struggle on wages. From the Management in the public The Polytechnic branch sector, at the Labour govern- NATHE, at a meeting held last ment's bidding, are attempting Thursday passed a motion which was "opposed to any to implement 'speed-up' and redundancy whether by voluntary "rationalisation' in the same compulsory wastage or early retirement. natural means, way as industrial bosses.

In Coventry, Aitken, for the Joint. Union Coventry's Director Committee to draw up contingency and Ridger, Warwickshire's Chief including a day of action Plant Education Officer, in a confiden- involving all those who work in the tial document the Polytechnic be enacted if any

DOCTO

Governors of Lanchester Poly- move was made towards redundan- technic nave shown themselves any section of the Poly-

CIES IOI

prepared to resort to an even older technic staff method of cutting labour costs This move to involve the Joint the sack! Union Committee the event of 1n After urging early retirement to redundancies should be supported increase student/staff ratios by the students. an arbitrary 10:1, the report states, in the absence of positive strategies 'natural wastage'

ATE

must De there will undoubtedly be redun- as strongly as Icouncan- recent struggles and victimisations in Cowley, from the struggles on Oxford and Camden Trades Councils Rule 15 and bureaucratic attacks and from recent struggles against bureaucracy in the Labour Party.

FULL DISCUSSION

As well as these main speakers will be time for a full discus- sion from the floor of the confer- the past two weeks support from Trade Union organisations has grown. Delegates have been elected from Enfield Polytechnic

NUS,

Central London

G&MWU,

Hotels North London Medical ASTMS Went London Medical

ASIMS

Hornsey

CLP,

Barnes and Richmond

CLP

and Aylesbury Trades Council. Jackson - UPW leader opposed to free collective bargaining recommends The report that "10 full time posts be deleted from the establishment" (there are vacancies at present) "and that an even stricter policy the filing of vacancies be adopted the future." Already new contracts are only being issued on a temporary basis.

Photo: Camden Chroniole The Joint Union Committee must demand access the and future plans of the accounts LEA as a first step to working with committees of elected trade unionists and students to draw up jointly workers plan for education based on the national- isation of the educational supply industries, and the fight for sliding scale of With the closure of the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Hospital (EGA) in Camden only weeks away, workers at the hospital, meeting on 23rd September, unanimously passed the following resolution: "Whilst acknowledging with gratitude the of cooperation all members of the Whittington staff in the present emergency, the staff of Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Hospital are opposed to the sugges- tion that the remaining in-patients be moved Whittington Hospital. We longer believe the Camden and Islington Area Health Authority or the DHSS have any intention of providing long term alternative. Therefore we are determined to stay on the site and to organise a work-in if necessary.

(our emphasis) This statement of 'no confid- ence' in the AHA and the intention to stage a work-in if the closure represents the culmina- proceeas. tion of a long struggle to save the

EGA.

FAILED

Public meetings, pickets, a one- day strike and a mass lobby at the House of Commons have all failed to reverse the decision of the AHA that the hospital should be closed.

(Which is not surprising as the EGA closure is just a small part of the cut-backs in the NHS which vital planks of right-wing Labour Government policy.) The workers there have there- fore now voted to take the only.

action them- remaming • LO take control of the hospital them-

MAKERS

QUIRY

I LIE

Page 5 Murray speaking at the TUC in Brighton shortly before seamen's vote

HOSPITAL

OCCUPATION

selves. How has this decision been received by the trade unions repres- ented at the hospital?

NUPE

- have indicated their • intention to give official recog nition to a work-in ,and suggested lobbying a NUPE-sponsored MP case might _be more interested in leading a fight than Camden's Lena Jager and Jock Stallard have been.

ASTMS

have indicated their intention to official give recog- nition to a work-in. NALGO - silence. G&MWU - silence. If EGA workers do stage'a work- first time such in it wil be the action has occurred in a hospital in this country. For that reason, these relatively inexperienced workers require leadership from their union officials (Who are paid by the membership for just such leadership) in organ- ising the work-in. At the Labour Party Conference

NUPE

General Secretary Alan Fisher paraded as the leftest-of-the lefts pushing for resolutions against the cuts to public services.

'isher can now "put his mone vnere mis mouth is 'and throw all his union's resources behind the EGA work-in. Detailed plans for the work-in must be prepared immediately by

EGA

Work-In Committee chal composed of workers and union representatives. The EGA Campaign Committee must organise outside support from the community and other sections of workers. No more lobbies and pickets to divert workers from real fight.

ALL

SUPPORT FOR

THE

EGA

WORK-IN.

KION

NHS

сон.

DEFEND THE METHOD

OF THE TRANSITIONAL

Lessons from the split in the Workers Internationalist League (Greece).

We reprint here the first of four parts of the Document by the Communist Internationalist League, (the expelled majority of the Greek Workers Internationalist League. The majority of the WIL were expelled after the intervention of Gerry Healy, (then General Secretary of the British Workers Revolutionary Party) acting in the іде б The internal crisis of the eague in Greece led finally to split. It would be futile and n interpretation of this split abandoning ourselves icious circle of little incidents This is even more true now that have started a campaign of landers and have resorted to reac- ionary activities, the like of which as never been seen in the Trotsky- equires first of all the analysis and larification of the theoretical and olitical questions which lie at the ut in order the smaller incidents.

ise a yardstick which will enable us o put all the facts into ine.

Let us suppose that we have in pertain organisation which has split.

of breach both of discipline and of We are confronted by a tangle of nutual accusations to which we can ind no end. Who is right and who uch a case our job would be to ask their political differences.

contained, but they are interwoven whose policies were destructive for the organisation of the revolution- alla could not survive if fought against theoretically and practically, within party functioning on the basis of defends within the workers' move- ment the interests of the oppressed, the Marxist method and the policies and the programme of Trotskyism, does not have to swear, to slander.

organisational manoeuvres create manoeuvres; they are accessary only to people who have become renegades from Trotskyism

PROGRAMME

name of the International Committee of the Fourth International.

soiled their hands by Every honest fighter and every to fool himself and the others will on the organisation incidents of the split and does not care about the person or at worst a hypocrite, who devoted himsell serousiy Trotskyist to the fact that this split question from an international and it was supposedly provoked by this who have them take their subjective e US Workers League incidents in the life interpret successive splits as being the result of coincidence, of certain people's state of mind and with the logical when applied in Greece or in any other individual country. But it is blown sky-high when one tries to a split that is taking place on the international plane, as international split is certain such - can only be the result of the histor- ical stage of development of society and of the evolution of a party.

consciousness of classes in society is

NOT AUTOMATIC

Material reality changes automanc. but people's thinking usually lags behind. Nor do men all simultaneously ascend stairs social consciousness. While one section manares to grasp what is new in reality another behind and does not section lags Only this can follow this progress. explain the splits. Engels writes in a letter to Bebel, split referring to said Tong ago: A party proves itsell stand the stin able to ment of the proletariat necessarily development; at every stage join in the further advance; and this ings, which carry on life-and-death persecutions." in Mary and Propagandism and the Method of the Transitional Programme The labour movement today and of humanity, are not the whole simply ascending to a new stage of development but they are at a historical turning tremendous point. The has long si the post waI long since ended for boom passes good. Capitalism through the most complex and most eruptive crisis in on disto and economic political relations are being destroy- inflation remains ed rapidly rampant on a world scale and the productive forces of humanity are generally in decline. Millions of workers throughout onto the world are the thrown unemployed; the peasants streets, are condemned to an indescribable misery: and the young nations in the underdeveloped world under imperialist attack.

MASSES

Within conditions, broad • these working of people masses are defend pushed into struggles rapidly falling living both their standards and their democratic rights. Every demand today surpasses the limits and the possibilities of crumbling capitalism. The question of the working class taking TfE power is objectively posed.

The Trotskyist groups have gone through a long period of isolation.

task. Their main now not and individual limited propaganda but the struggle recruitment links with the masses, to develop their confidence, train win to cadres capable of leading in struggle not tens but hundreds of thousands and meir ogdo pore sed pe be to Their slogan now must be reduce revol tradition and they within utionary work the masses into a sick repetition of truths they have learned by heart. of the International The cadre Committee that has been trained in the propagandistic method, the and conceives Marxism socialist programme as a stock of 'recipes which we must propose Ic both and the in winter summer alike. Thus the job of the revolution- ist is presented extremely as an He has only to learn a few standard things and • to say them to others in oral and written Iorm.

ULTIMATUM

Naturally. Marxism and the socialist programme are trans- ulti this formed in way into matum, no less strict and fixed than the Commandments oi Moses The propagandist is transformed today into a sectarian. His method did not create rusten ov problems Past, the struggle, class the amazing produces as well as in the organis- policies ational life of his group.

Many comrades have been really a series of incidents surprised by which seem inconceivable to them.

Programme, the sectarians: ...uhye "regime' and the 'methods' and carry on a regime of the masses" because the conquest power is not possible without the conquest of the masses.

an epoch of wars and This destinarion of the Is Ene Otherwise party. This is enough for the sectarians.

has no reason for existence.

If the It forms the basis for their socialist Trotskyists fail, the punishment for propaganda. But they do not have, for the whole working class them, and they do not seek the means-to will be fascism, and for humanity war and barbarism. revolutionary perspectives into the movement But the Trotskyist tradition of very long gap between the objective carmes a propagandism. It is obliged to carry tasks of the masses and their inade- out today a kind of internal revol of consciousness does ution, a decisive break. with the past. constant repetition of the truths of athout take on tractions the Fourth International, after the war, generally have no in the form of transitional demands naturally not get much response in conditions of boom, of inflationary simply dawdle in one place, satisfy.

expansion and full employment for ing themselves with a repetition of (TP., Folrose edition, p40) consisted groups. For almost half a century, with admirable accuracy the organ- Trotskyist movement was to spread regime and the policies of disciples of its leadership within the But outside of the class struggle gradually transformed, in the minds dialectical of the propagandists, ințo inflexible Programme, method of Trotsky, and have trans- formed its slogans into an empty abstraction. Essentially, the Transitional Programme is a banned the development of the revol- book within the International Com utionary movement and in the con- mittee. they acted, ditions under which really offered fruitful results.

STRUGGLE

they by first of all securing the contin- uity of the Trotskyist movement.

But if this could be tolerated in But the objective movement has the past, a precondition for the radically changed, and that which International to pass through the was a necessary evil, yesterday only the a retrograde and Triumphal Arch becomes today relentless struggle against right-wing liquidationist element of the move- final opportunism but also, crushing of sectarianism inside and Propaganda was always necess- outside our ranks. ary but propagandism must now be Trotsky was imperative: smashed. Lenin said: tendencies "However, sectarian "As long as it was (and inasmuch be found also in our ranks as it still is) a question of winning

ATEN

and display a ruinous influence on the proletariat's vanguard over to the work of the individual sections.

priority the side of communism, It is impossible to make any further went and still goes to propaganda compromise with them even for a work; even propaganda circles, with regale ing the trade unions ga bay correct single all their parochial limitations, are useful under these conditions, and condition for adberence produce good resuits. Rut when it Fourth International. He who does is a question of practical action by not seek and does not find the road the masses, of the disposition, to the masses is not a fighter but a one may so put it, of vast armies, of dead weight to the A pro- party. the alignment of all the class forces gramme is formulated not for the in a given society for the final and editorial board or for the leaders of then propagandist battle,

HE HAYNE

disucssion clubs but for the revol- methods alone, the mere repetition of millions. The action of the truths of " ism, are of no avail pure" commun- utionary cleansing of the ranks of the Fourth sectarianism International and (Left Wing Communism, p71). incurable sectarianism, is a primary precisely the This is question revolutionary condition today: the leaderships of the Inter- Committee national villane (TP., Folrose edition, p.40) their propagandistic hostages to

• SOCIALIDI

IRBoo; weanesauy oin ucroser, 1s/o The leaders of the WRP - and they are the only are completely opposed to the method.

of the Transitional Programme, the dialectical materialism of Marx, Lenin and Trotsky. They sometime, somewhere read that a programme is formed on the basis of a scientific analysis of the epoch, retlects ИСТОЛСЯ objective tasks of the working class, not its political backwardness.

Trotsky says that: programme "The must take as it is, because it is itself society an organ for us to fight this back- wardness of the working class and to win."

NO FURTHER

They never went further than this. What does a scientific pro- gramme for the working class of Greece mean today for example?

dictatorship that say 1967 installed in our

COTINY

was not a thunderbolt from a clear sky. It was a testimony historical decay of parliamentarism.

Its overthrow in July of 1974 and the rise of Karamanlis, was not based the solution on the economic CrISiS, but, on contrary, on the deepening of this crisis. We do not face the prospect of democratic restoration 01 "normality" as the Stalinists claim.

The existence of Parliament and of democratic today. 1s of an unstable balance of result forces between the classes.

The period is extremely trans- itory and will necessarily lead to a confrontation which will decide the question: fascism or socialism?

Out of this analysis - based on and not on wishful material facts thinking and illusions - it becomes clear that the task of the working immediately seize the class is to with power. If it fails, it will pay fascism. But what does that mean for us?

That we must summon the working class immediately to undertake the battle for power? The leaders of the

WRP,

confused way, indeed arrive at such a conclusion.

but tus nas normagm commor with Marxism. It is a caricature of it. The seizure of by the working class and socialism, is the goal of the conscious strategic revolutionaries, in epoch

TEA

and of the imperialism in general present crisis in particular.

But the fact that the economic structure of capitalism is mature enough for its - and indeed it is rotting overthrow indicate that this does not historical task can be carried out in practice at any given moment.

work Human beings within given economic conditions.

They will never transform society if the necessity for its transformation does not pass through them and does not conscious thought which will then be turned into the will to undertake revol unonary actively. HOw going to achieve are we this? It is not at all enouch for one to have a scientifically determined strategy. One must also have the method to make the broad masses conscious The ot the goa OI It. does not at all ensure a correct day- to-day activity. Trotsky says in the And Transitional Programme: *The of this achievement strategic task is unthinkable with- out the most considered attention all, and even small partial questions of tactics." (TP, Folrose edition, p.8) In his discussions with the of

SWP,

members the Trotsky said it is one to question have a correct programme and: ..another question to know in which way we will present it to the is to working people. It great extent pedagogic question, question of terminology, a question of selection of the terms.

UNDERSTANDING

The presentation of the programme does not simply depend subjective on experience talent, but it presupposes first of all a dialectical materialist understand- ing of the unity which in reality between exists the everyday of the masses and the

NEMES

struggle for power. Secondly careful requires a of the correlation of analysis the most political forces and appreciation possible of the •concrete stage of development of the class struggle. The idea that revolutionaries the state of mind of all triore the masses and that in their activity take as they must an measure their scientific analysis oi clearly epoch, sectarian nonsense. This idea is subjected to violent criticism by Lenin in his book Wing and Left Communism fought against by Lenin during the whole of his life. The sectarians in the leadership of the would also denounce

WRP

participation in parlivednt since it objectively outlived, were consistent and not formalistic ally attached to the letter of Marxism.

STATE OF MIND

Lenin and Trotsky on the participation of Com- insist parliament, precisely munists in because they ve tasks of the from the the objective tasks but also take into account masses, their state of mind. To analyse society objectively, as it is. and not subjectively, as you would like it to be - not to start from ideas within your own head - take into account means to not only the economic element but also the human element and its consciousness. the Instead of this approach,

WRP"

"Perspectives. for the Pereposed to Deceiter 1974, and 1974, December which are an indirect reply to the Thornett' start follows: "The Workers Revolutionary Party October Election Manifesto began: General Electíon *'he being held under the shadow of a threatening economic catastrophe.'

Election the Our intervention decided first and was foremost from this fact." If they wanted to be more frank, they should say that their inter- "first and vention was decided not foremost" but exclusively by that.

participated the elections with a full socialist pro- gramme of complete nationalisation without compensation and under control, because they workers said the took plave under the shadow of "a threatening • For Alan Thornett's analysis of WRP's position see the book The Battle for Trotskyism. Trotsky speaking in Copenhagen, 1932 the leaders of the WRP economic catastrophe."! above, But this programme in reality is claim that: learned by "The party's struggle for simply propaganda the building politic deguard, or heart, which they have repeated the vanguard, for the exposure steadily, every under year, and not something of the reformists and Stalinists, for circumstances, the mobilisation of the workers for proposed especially for the elections of 1974 power in the course of every econ- omic struggle, and for the building

CORRECT

of the party, must be brought into this spontaneity. It conflict with As propaganda the complete [the struggle of the party] does not of rationalisation (expropriation alongside it of it grow or out related to it the expropriators), is slogan simply by a set of correct for this imperialist epoch demands which will gently bring when every moment we are unde the workers forward." shadow "threatening (WRP Perspectives, 2nd November economic catastrophe". But it is 1974, р.4) not a slogan for immediate action "The of the mobilisation If we want to be a party of the workers for power in the course of masses and not talkers, we must put struggle"! economic every forward the question of nationalis- ridiculous statement shows that the whenever and wherever the ation, situation permits it, (and today the masses utionary education there is perhaps no country where into mere propaganda. this question is not posed) taking

PASSIVE

into account the degree of maturity of the broad masses It reflects the passive expec practical means terms we cannot put forward the tation, under the form of an ideal that the istic messianism; masses question of wholesale nationalis- pushed by the crisis, will finally ation but of nationalising the most come to us through a single leap.

basic secors of the economy, or the The WRP go on the same most parasitic, those sectors which are related immediately to perspectives document: "This "bridge' is the transition the pub mus transport odd n).

from spontaneithe political torward

TEENI

whole 01 question nationalisation Leninist teaching revolves around called wieterer initiative" has already aroused the understanding that this trans ition is a dialectical one, a revol masses, their feelingshe the exposing practice of the revolutionary part speculation, robbery of the capitalists and the illogicallity and in struggle against opportunism and and so on. sectarianism... anarchy created by private Poor dialectics! How much have property. you suffered in the hands of these magicians! The less they understand

TROTSKY

the dialectic the more claims they make for it. Trotsky writes in the Transition- The WRP forget that it includes al propriation of Separate Groute under the subtitle Programme not only the category of leaps, but also the category of quantitative of Capitalists: which developments prepare the «The of socialist programme leaps. enroopriation e bourgeoise ver Being conscious of this, Marxists bourgeoisie only in the period of liberal not liquidation of its economic domin- capitalism but also in the period of ation, should in no case during the imperialism - and especially in the present transitional period hinder latter never underestimated the when struggle for economic and politica occasion warrants, the demand for reforms, the struggle for the elem the expropriation ot several ker entary derands of the masses.

of vital for branches industry or of the most national existence Continued Next Edition. parasitic group of the bourgeoisie" document quoted But in their

Page 8 The alliance between South Africa's privileged white work- ing class, (protected in whole categories of jobs by a state- enforced colour bar), and the Afrikaner capitalist class began with the Labour Nationalist Coalition government of 1924.

(See 'Socialist Press' No 37).

This political alliance was further consolidated with the of the Nationalist Party in victory the 1948 elections. And it has held

WOWE YE DELUS

The Nationalists, led successively by Malan, Strijdom, Verwoerd, and now Vorster, acting for both South African and international capitalism carried through a massive consolidation of State control of the working class in South Africa through police terror and the denial of basic democratic rights.

Racial segregation was enforced in industry. The Industrial Concil- iatic Act of 1so enforced acia.

segn ition and umons excillued African workets from participation in the machinery of trade union bargaining.

STRIKES FORBIDDEN

The Native Labour Act of 1953 forbade strikes by black and established regional Native Labour committees or civl servants to settle all disputes involving black workers to particular areas of employment.

The direction and control of the movement of labour was achieved through the notorious 'Pass Laws' which ensured that Orates workers who became unemployed or engaged in any form of political activity could be swiftly and returned to the African tribal lands (Bantustans). Alongside came a battery of political controls.

The Suppression of Communism Act of 1950 forcibly dissolved the Communist legal framework for the arrest and detention without trial, or the placing under house arrest, of wide circles of white middle class liberal critics of addition thousands militants and communists of both races. The 1961 General Law Amendment Act gave the police unprecedented sweeping powers of detention and arrest without trial.

UNLIMITED

This legislation has been supple- mented by the Terrorism Act and now the State Security Act which gives the police virtually unlimited power to arrest and detain indefin- itely without trial almost anyone.

The Act is being used for the ave of arrests of black militants currently under way even though it has not yet passed through parlia- ment. Other legislation like the 1974 Riotous Act gives the tatames police widespread powers to dan meetings and has been especially ned against black Trade Unions.

Just the legislatiane of state course, This legislation of course, the cover for the widespread use of intimidation torture by police force many of whose leaders admirers of the methods of Tile:'s Gestapo. economic result of this oi its been the maintenance of the wages. maning distr: :%a ratio of white wages to

THE FIGHT

FOR AFRICAN

TRADE UNIONS

PART 3 OF OUR SERIES ON SOUTH AFRICAN HISTORY.

Black workers have lower living than they of cheap foreign capital during the post Return investment was than for return on Us world of oi retur 11.1% Despite this remained fashionable idea liberals alone both inside South Africa and Егоре that repression resulting in the forcing down of wages was a hindrance to a profitable South capitalism Africa - that the bourgeoisie itself getting rid of had an interest in an "Sooner produces it 15 the defence open up black 1922 strike. behaviour of white labour was the who were But let's at what really happens. ways 15,000 jobs formerly reserved whites only. A shortage of whites offered to blacks was redesignated "train marshaller'. Rands a month about El Bets attempting to open up more employers are in no sense 'breaking directly used to force black wages as low as possible in jobs previously system is not that certain jobs are for all time for Waterer he mechanism of repressive stat hinder the South is of course an in absurdity. paid workers. sell to other capitalists! None of the whose labour the erected. The world a fall in the ted for the in drive renewed and down wages. of Atrican ations. The union trade by black mass workers Industrial and Commercial: Union the Workers of the SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 6th October, 1976 South African gold miners World as the This was followed in 1972 by a "Wobblies") Kadaie collapsed in 1930.

Klemens strike for higher pay by Johannes- burg It is significant buls drivers. African workers outside the that in both these struggles, strike industry then carried action preceded and became the through a number of struggles for main impetus for the formation of in particular trade unions. Militants faced the threat of

INCREASES

imprisonment and deportation Conciliation Act denied bargaining rights to Africans.

increases - which left the workers however, a measure in any case still below the govern- of success and some African unions unions in the South African Trades which the employers knew would and Labour Council.

RESISTANCE

In the post-war period apartheid policies of the Nationalist bus drivers union formed after greeted with a government were whole series of resistance campaigns including a wave of strikes in 1960 and mass demonstrations which transport fares had been recently were greeted with massive police violence - the notorious Sharpville followed wakes rom ene and tollowed by the wave of repressive laws in 1961.

It was in the late 60s and early '70s that of the current wave militancy began to build up. It was assisted by two factors. Firstly the growth of manufac- workers at Carletonville near Johan- By 1971 manufac- turing industry. turing accounted for 23% of Gross National Product - equal to mining and agriculture combined.

the rapid This has resulted in expansion of a black working class permanently resident in the towns employers to take a firm stand. The unlike the migrant contract workers in the mines. In all these actions and many since, black workers have received no help from the white dominated price of gold has forced the deval uation of the currency and increas- General Secretary of the all white Financial Mail that In 1972 for example the average black miners were not entitled to return on US investment in South "Hell, they got enough over the Africa was 9.8% as opposed to 13% last year. What they earn now is a It is mounting inflation that nas given the impetus to the new wave strike of mineworkers in Ovambo- land in December 1972 for higher ment's racist policies. African Trades and Labour Council

SOLIDARITY

multiracial unions. and it floweded its policy in 1965 A key development in this strike was the solidarity the shown bv Africans in the tribal areas which prevented the employers using their traditional of replacing. and since then has come out very sIlkers will new migrants strongly against any changes in the But Native in that year the Labour Act made quite for black impossible unions to Rather than take up operate legally.

'SATLC

followed the advice of the British TUC to "tem- porise on basic principles and agree to membership of the council being restricted to the registered unions."

ție wille noes olyy. Black will workers get no support from such bodies in the struggle for trade unionism be struggle that in can lIEU way separated from the struggle against the whole edifice of apartheid, state repression, and capitalism itself in South Africa. by John Lea

SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 6th October, 1976

SPOTLIGHT

THE 35HR-WEEK

FRAUD

The massive unemployment figures cause much concern to the trade union leaders. They find difficulty justifying their and privileged high salaries while at the same positions, time forcing their members to

"WHY WE ARE

FROM THE IMG

world crisis of the The and the imperialist system offensive of the world working class puts to the test all organ- isations claiming to be revolu- and strikingly con- nonary firms Trotsky's prognosis thai "the world political situation as a whole is chiefly character- ised by a historical crisis of the leadership of the proletariat."

crisis of leadership is not limited to the continuing betrayais of the social-democratic and Stalin- however; it ist bureaucracies. never been so thoroughly represen- of those organ- the TanKs isations claiming to be Trotskyist.

SLANDERS

The degenerating and shrunken International Committee of Gerry the vilest Healy resorting George Novack sanders concerning and Joseph Hansen to hold together whilst the Newline fragments, carries articles on the Middle Hast almost completely uncritical of the Arab Nationalist forces, and ignores completely the tasks of the perm anent revolution in these states.

The positions of the Organising Committee for the Reconstruction of the Fourth International (OCI) "Leninist-Trotskyist' and the of the Usec events faction Portuguess taking place revolution, particularly those taking Pica ast yd tr sews cler Re tb- clearly show degeneration of these organisations.

"press free- supporting bourgeois against the development of dom' workers and the form- seizures by workers' commissions in of

ZALOIE

this sector). ON

REFORMISM

the effects of the accept slump. The "left'-sounding call for a thirty five hour working week has win back been used to try and members' confidence. This slogan, echoed in the 'Right

RESIGNING

with of ing class. The and its the British Callaghan the fight for excuse usec to as the Red Weekly to date, resolution of will be the crisis of achieved elements wing", Stalinists, Insti- workers, Control,

NAC,

tute OI TOM, etc., etc. Strawson and As Socialist Press number this standing - this For the

IMG

the method of Trotsky in the Transitional

PIO-

representing twenty years gramme, of Bolshevik method and develop- is reduced solely to propa- ment, gandá for the "new mass vanguard' those forces "broken" with the - thus evading bureaucracy already to Work' campaign, was advocated on to explain the need working hours by Jack Jones and is now the policy to Britain and of the of the TUC to give evelyoue mue clatte vr e European TUC. stable job." No mention, of course, by this As part of a socialist programme the reduction of the working week wage-cutting policies, architect of is a way of defending all jobs and at of the defence of workers' interests using technological and living standards. Not a single the same time advance to increase leisure time for call was made for real wages to be the whole working class. week is maintained if the working In this spirit Marx and Lenin "productive efficiency" Ieduced class of supported the is the order of the day.

W GINIE

Europe in the fight for the legal If giving the unemployed their eight hour day. 'chance' of a job means in this way leaders today can also be cuts and speed-up for more wage heard to refer to the great benefits then Jones' thirty- the employed, that the thirty-five hour week will week policy can five hour oniy divide the working class plans of Jones With othet reformist schemes and Co. have nothing to do with like 'overtime bans' and 'early the defence of jobs or the struggle retirement" it puts blame for the for socialism. crisis on the working class.

It is typical of the many calls to

REACTIONARY

'sacri- the working class to make fices' in this period. Jones, the TUC and their European counterparts do wish to fight for jobs; not aiey wish that unemployment simply could be spread evenly throughout the In the way that they pose it, it Worms Cis ä pellansal system of short-time working to is not in contradiction with their preserve "industrial relations .

s° "participation on capitalst the working class Jones, should not fight for jobs as a right.

It must package itself in such a way The link between the pol lab ond that it is a saleable commodity to the capitalists. agents of the ruling

MARXIST

cowardly "part and parcel of negotiations on The capitalist crisis and inevitably Fearing working class anger over requires a pool of prouuve as a standing be folly not to think unemployed labour

HL YUA IT

warning to employed workers who ahead about the damage that persis- for better wages unemployment would do to indus- on this score for It is clear from this that Jones demoralisation 'in the against rising unemployment should of jobs is that of work oration with the capitalist class.

the real fight in the mass organ- of isations working Class break the reformist illusions of even.

the most advanced trade union 'The Workers has grasped this fight; it has not eternally waited for the "balance of forces" to change as has the IMG, heeded Trotsky's advice the relationship something that has to be changed, not capitulated to. from a principled fight in the mass organisations of shas 1 back tard grounds that the

"BACKWARD"

The IMG's view that the class is "backward" is based on an analysis sets relationship of the bureaucracy to this "backwardness" nor does it see To continue, as the "Trotskyist the proletariat is backward, but the Opposition' do, to argue with the mentality is not such a substance as of the IMG from the membership inside is like "fighting for atheism the Vatican" the oniy way members of the USFI and IMG will crisis, the millions of unemployed . it can change rapidly."

to a Trotskyist party and won •De "Our tasks don't depend on the politics posing the question concretely of which organisation is is to develop the mentality equipped to fight for those politics inside the working class.

To put this simply, accepting the "democratic Transitional Programme, centralism'

IMG

(which democratic centralism at all) would put a brake wardness" is to wage a struggle in on political development, us from making a critical assess-

WELC

ment of the role of the USFI in the in front struggle which has earnt the WSL the special class hatred of the bureaucracy.

workers' movement. l'a remain in an organisation which puts virtually developing IesouIces intervene in the mass cadre to the class armed the IMG has offered organisations OI IMG's "action pro- even with nonetheless formally the

USFI

gramme" a day to day basis, of majority the trade union (IMT) as applied to China, Vietnam virtually Iegulat struggle left- *class commissions nationally or locally, and the Cuba wing", but they they fail absolutely (even in purely organisational to locate these in the history sense) instead concentrating on political of the

USFI

"key conjunctural issues" which are trajectory the

ISEC)

quietly dropped after a few frantic (and before that, from months. draw the correct conclusions misdirection of them. This tragic the .ethe The only conclusion which can together from these criticisms is principled struggle for the to the leadership that the USFI represents a centrist short-cut' current, vacillating between a revol- of the woking elsase sth eleft" "left" utionary and a reformist standing and issuing of the bureaucracy and perspective; bureaucrats centrists and that necessitates an open and vague and general calls to action. to workers and amazed when the principled tight in the working class for Trotskyist politics. workers pay no attention.

leges sharing on full pay. It is only on the basis of such a policy, taken from the Transitional Inter- and in a Wellt serious fight for jobs. together in the solidarity of mutua be divided among all existing worker.

...The average wage of every worker Trotsky N ]6 : socialist society" only one which starts from the defence ol working class interests and poses a TN1e HINS week can have any serious meaning posco who should control society workers' plan of public works to accepting this demand. thirty-liv thei members nationally in strike actio thirty-fiv hours on full pay. ino the and their teren o prints be re meer n l USFI leader Mandel: USFI is a "centrist current".

For several we witnessed the IMG's class", and it's a box office disasțe the masses just are not intereste ANGO v aG oo lood and other centrist compromis

USFE,

the

IMG

from the pours grease on the slope out the political swamp of the peti bourgeois milieu and

DOLI

comades sliding back down flou dering and demoralised. The only way out of this vicio circle is for comades to grasp tł nature of the USFI and its "actio programme" (which Trotsk unlike most leading IMG member remained perfectly clear on): "We can call it a programme ‹ but for us, for our strateg action, conception, it is a transitional pr it is a help to the mass gramme - idea overcoming nenter methods, and forms and of adap ing themselves to the exigencies the situation. (Leon Trotsky, March 23rd 1938

METHOD

The Workers Socialist League Brita the only organisation fighting for such programn and method, deepening taking it forward to provide leade struggles sily working class, and to resol the crisis of leadership of that clas For the Workers Socialist Leagu the reconstruction of ti FoI Fourth Internation: Ian Kaye - Hi Eddie Kent - Sheffie

INDUSTRIAL NEWS

JAG OCCUPATION

Page 10 Despite Jones and Scanion's front page 'no strikes" plea in management's house journal disputes 'Leyland Mirror', continue British to sweep Leyland. As previously reported, paint- shoo workers at the jaguar blant it Coventry have banned overtime pursuit of a public enquiry into the siting paintshop new Birmingham rather than Coventry Management have opposed the call for an enquiry. Over the last week the Brown's Lane Coventry factory has been the scene or mountine tension between workers and management, leading on Wednesday to a situation tanta- of the occupation TO JIu ll plant. The began the struggles Tuesday when morning manage- ment Issued an restrictions by lift paintshop. to midday or face a total lock-out.

The paintshop stewards met and unanimously rejected this threat, reaffirming which have been cutting production by about 20%.

DRIVERS

This situation escalated in the afternoon, when internal drivers on the final line struck work against a unilateral attempt by management cnange tne metnod oI WoIk.

HD U

3.15 this had resulted in all final and main assembly workers being taken off the by clock management. further After disputes on the night shift, a joint day and night shift stewards called meeting was for 8 am on Wednesday. Confront- cu will a manasomcnl ment that payment would be again stopped at 8.30 am, the recommen- dation was for all workers to remain on the plant while stewards demanded the company withdraw lock-out resume the threats and production.

OCCUPATION

While this amounted in effect to occupation an tne plant, Tane leadership half- were extremely hearted about. developing the action, and there was little attempt by stewards to a solid organise KAN NAMIOTAM OTI0u4AO As a result some workers began to go home after the stewards had A delegate conterence on unemployment called by Hull Trades Council on Sunday 26th September suprisingly attracted only 70 stewards and delegates, reflecting the way in which the right-wing on the Trades Council had prevented any real mobilisation on the ESTe.

BUREAUCRATS

The platform of the Conference comprised an array of local council- HOTs and union bureaucrats coult orly offer "development area status" as the solution to the tomu's 16.000 unemployed.

Hoserer. this reactionary pobene was smongy amacacu hlom tire Poor with the result that the

BEATS LOCKOUT

In this context the call for a full investigation of management plans

FILENSC

naving by now heard of the events for the factory offer the only road at ford's Dagenham plant during by which Jaguar workers can begin the previous night, a contingent of to control future developments and final line workers at 10.45 marched guarantee jobs and conditions.

through the factory to the canteen

WORK SHARING

citiu meeting to demand action.

In the same way the demand for aulouic control of trade union the paintshop overtime ban remain- restart the tracks in ment's arbitrary methods and their attempts to attack workers section- After forcing break These lessons will not be quickly Jaguar workers have shown by their 'forgotten by Jaguar workers. continued resistance to attack the ruture impose lay-offs or lock-outs will be.

closely scrutinised by workers who open stand in defence of the work have proved the power of the tactic of occupation to back the demand for and payment resumed production. @Mirror Every month's quality month in the Maror Na 16 Ser.ember 15th 1976. A message firom Car chiet Jack Jones and unges. Thak of Hugh Scanlon the other r KEEP 120,000

WORKING!

The widely ignored front page appeal by Jones and Scanlon

HULL JOBS CONFERENCE

unanimously: "That this Trades Council Con- ference deplores the high level of provided the finance to develop a local unemployment (Hull adult series of useful public works. This males 10%). co-operation This creates intolerable hardship foI and humiliation at Trade Union rates of pay.

thousands of workers and their 5. Development area status for families. be financed from: We demand that the Labour gorernment elected into office by a predominantly working class vote break from their present policies.

T'he nationalisation of all We put forward the following industries: (including profit- constructive proposals: able sectors) without compensation Reverse all cuts in public except through service spending. All public services Wicked to be protected by a sliding scale of expenditure. The introduction of a 35-hour

MOBILISE

week with no loss of earnings 3. Retirement age to be reduced The Trades Council must now be to 60, paid at the average industrial forced, despite its leadership, to 0e| łe kmo ła rł ło election Following their recent bureaucratic manoeuvres, which led to dockers lifting their principled black on the Barge Aboard Catamaran NumbeT satem, the T&GWU Number Regional Com- mittee has stepped its up campaign against union demo- cracy on Hull docks. Due to the reorganisation of the work-force by the employers, the of annual elections the stewards who make up the unofficial döcks shop stewards were brought forward commuttee and nominations for stewards positions were sought.

CIRCULAR

docks employees, T&GWU Region- Secretary Cairns, dockers that they had wanted, reminded them that there officially recognised In other words, you can vote for whoever tc Wolll you as long as he is a member of the T&GWU! However, the result of the election call was that the minority

NASDU

(Blue Union) branches provided 21 nominations for stewards positions while the with a majority of the membership could scrape together 13 nominations! Obviously aware that there was a strong chance of the Blue Union the control of stewards Cairns committee cancelled the elections «indefinitelv" membership Knowing that the

SACKED-FOR A 1 DAY STRIKE!

Eight workers at the East London Psychiatric Rehabil- itation Association

(PRA)

struck for the day nearly two months the ago, against management's refusal to recog- nise the right of their union (NUPE) to negotiate over pay and conditions. The following morning they were sacked and locked of their out work- places. Where do such reactionary managers come from? The director, John Wilder, is a member of the Labour Party and ASTMS, and the chairman of the Association is none Townsend, than Peter the famous Hampstead "'socialist" academic. Since that time the eight workers have been continuing their work at alternative premises in East occupied PRA London, premises in Walthamstow. patients have stayed with 1 ne the locked out workers despite offers by the management to take them into scabs. groups support has Local union been directed to maintaining local authority services such as meals and transport for the patients Wathom HA*c N&Í} eon s SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 6th October, 1976 TGWU official blocks docks the

T&GWU,

the docks , then wrote to the Blue the docks to (abour 171) to wlat okalt maintain between The Blue rejected (which was the first time T&GWU had Now stop an effort to. the more the elections take one Blue stewards pointed out: has known Previously, It remains to be seen how far

T&GWU

bureaucracy the pared to go to maintain their hold over the stewards committee, and what additional plans they are preparing to attack the Blue union in the event of a Blue stewards majority on the committee.

It is important to defend the Blue union against the manoeuvres of the T&GWU bureaucracy.

even more important is for Hull dockers to join the fight within the

T&GWU

against the dictatorial bureaucratic control by appointed regional and district officials - and for democratic procedures within the T&GWU. £100 to the work-in While the industrial aspects of the struggle continue to develop, an Tribunal appeal to the Industrial revealed some remarkable aspects of the much praised Employment Protection Act. The interim appeal was dismis- sed on the grounds that recognised by the union does not the count as union activity

TOT

purposes of the Act! The Tribunal chairman went on in this vein - insisting that a strike when the union was trying to call in ACAS, the arbitration board, is a strike in defiance of the union, and so places workers outside the scope of the Act! So the Employment Protection "achieve- of the proud ments of the Labour government turns out to be a weapon for the worst kind of strike breaking and be in the vanguard of the bosses offensive. PRA is meanwhile going ahead with recruiting scabs to reopen all their centres. Solidarity and assistance workers in the needed trom al health and municipal sectors in East Newham N.E. London. Already CLP has for the voted support dispute. Donations and support to Dame Colet House Ben Jonson Rd

NOV17th —STRIKE TO STOP SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesdes 6zh October, 1976

THE CUTS!

The 1,000 strong lobby of the Labour Party Conference last week called by NUPE and by the National supported Coordinating Committee Against Cuts in the NHS was an indication of the growing file feeling among rank and against the trade unionists government's policy of savage spending cuts. also reflected in the This was show of hands vote at the Confer- itself for NUPE leader Alan ence Fisher's resolution opposing govern- ment spending cuts and calling for support to councils which refuse to implement them.

REFUSAL

But Fisher's refusal to push for a card vote duestion on the positions of the drawing out linked with other union leaders NUPE leader Fisher The Workers Socialist League The Workers Socialist League is a Trotskyist organisation the working fighting to build a revolutionary leadership in class in opposition to the betrayals of both "left" and right wing Labour and trade union leaders and the Communist In the daily struggle to take the demands and principles of Trotsky's Transitional Programme into the trade unions, the WS has been at the forefront of the fight for the sliding scaie of wages, and work sharing on - demands which at the 1975 T&GWU Conference were the alternative to Jones' £6 pay plan and the wholesale acceptance of In today's fight against the TUC'$ 4%% deal with Healey this demand for a sliding (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 WSL comrades have led the struggle for a sliding scale of NHS spending, for the start of workers' control of the service (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 and NUPE leadership who substitute the words for the action.

day action against the closure of the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Hospital 2,000 hospital workers in the area struck and 400 marched to WS comrades have tested and developed the In local disputes also, demands of the Transitional Programme, putting forward in every case the only real opposition to the Stalinists and the right-wing. Our struggle demand in the motor industry and against all forms of "workers' participation"" have won mass responses.

Tine calling for unity of employed and unemployed through the fight to mobilise the trade union movement.

transitional demands, going beyond mere trade union militancy to pose In doing this our comrades have been forced also to lead struggles for union democracy against the bureaucratic manipulation of the But our struggle for the continuity of the principles of Trotskyism is in no way a task confined to Britain: It requires an attention and involve- the international struggles of the working class and moves to rebuild the Trotskyist Fourth International.

So while many interventions in Britain have developed the League's grasp of Trotsky's Transitional Programme, there has been a consistent drive to deepen and enrich the movement's understanding of the history 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 WSL and ioin our fight in the labour movement.

MORE INFORMATION

Please send me more information about the Workers Socialist League. Name. .. Address. Post to WSL, 31, Dartmouth Park Hill, London NW5 1HR.

IINDUSTRIAL NEWSI

the government's cynical declarat- regardless Labour that, ions will Conference policy, they with their present line proceed show that the passing of such resol- utions in no way lackico or solver question of leadership in the This pull-back takes place at the same time as at local level more and readiness to fight in defence of jobs and the social services: *In London, thousands of health been actions, lobbies and demonstrations before the next, bigger wave of cuts hospital has voted for occupation to stop its closure. strike action

NUT

for hali-day shut down virtually every school in the county and brought 4,000 onto lobby the county the streets to council. public sector and *In all the social service unions militancy NUT President Wiltshire

NALGO

forcing the rising take the major step leadership to of recalling its June conference to a special December conference on the cuts, NUPE to declare a (verbal) "guerilla strikes' against policy the NUT and NAS/UWT the cuts; sanctions against implement the and teacher unemployment, CPSA to call a Civil Service union one-day strike and lobby of Parlia ment on November 17th Union Annual Conference at Bridlington in May, an organ- known as the Feder- ation of Firefighters has been reared up a number of times over suggesting that firemen can main- living standards. and condemned by the FBU. The Federation approves of the archaic Day Manning duty system under which men are provided with low rent accommodation adjacent to the fire station and provide round the clock cover for the fire authority. The men work a normal five.

week on the fire station bul day can be called from their homes to attend fires at night or weekends.

Using this duty system a fire station authority can man with 8 men instead of 24.

The men performing this duty system are paid for being called out from their homes and therefore can enhance their flat week greatly earnings.

MANDATED

The FBU are mandated, by an Conference decision Annual to get this duty some years ago, Gen Sec Drain

NALGO

Nor is there any doubt that the feeling within the working class as a these support whole 15 sections against the reactionary cuts implemented by the Labour govern- NUPE and NALGO have both Parliament on Noverber 17th. It is for that day and loobilise the fullindicationut to the strength of the mass feeling and the readiness of workers to full-scale the cuts, both at local and national

DAY OF ACTION

Councils and other Trades be pressed to unions must also support this day of strike action.

But achieve the maximum unity in action the central demands must be: job lost, not one *Not one penny off the social services.

*Protect the social services from inflation through a sliding scale of spending linked to rising costs as assessed by trade union commit- feesiTo implement these demands, open the books, plans, and sun- pliers lists of the local authorities and Area Health Authorities to *Nationalise social service sup- private health facilities and pliers, education.

SCAB UNION' AT WORK

IN FIRE BRIGADES

system removed from the agreed duty systems. The Federation also approves of men providing retained cover, answering fire calls by pocket off alerter, when they are duty from their own fire station of duty system is his torm authorities enabling fire to man fire stations of manpower.

DANGEROUS

the Federation In addition in the Fire Service approves men 48 By hour week. staying on 48 hour week, the staying Federation suggests that the men can earn more by the emphasis of overtime being paid for the extra eight hours.

FBU,

however, The determined to press for an actual 40-hour week without loss of pay and the creation of extra jobs.

that the There is doubt Federation is an extremely danger- ous group which is cashing in on country's the frustrations of the firemen following the FBU Annual Conference decision to accept the TUC 4% pay guidelines and avoid the of defence living issues standards which confront members.

RIGHT WING FINANCE

There is strong evidence that the Federation has right-wing finance being and backed by certain Chief Officers. The FBU has laid down that its members will not be used to demonstra- provide water jets at tions or assist police in a number oi ther activities el ; the removal of quatters or the clearance of gyps

CAR

DELIVERY

VICTORY

Two strikes by car delivery drivers in Coventry have just for

WELC

from other firms in the Coventry area and the strike has now ended with temporary proposals for pro with on was over the sacking of 17 drivers and end the strike by withdrawing th go to press the precise details of th

REGICIS

tires involved almost 75% of car and commercia th American RCA Corporation); Tole man James, BRS Cartransport an‹ tren beer reversed due to a growine practic by the big firms to hand out wor heads and obviously makes it mor difficult to defend the interests o the drivers. A key demand therefore must b companies involve ensure the do not deal with sub-contractors.

This must go alongside demand work-sharing full pay for on an the opening of the delivery firm books to enable drivers' control c manning levels to be established.

FBU leader Par caravan sites. Federation No doubt the the very different views on positions as will no doubt be show if they should begin gain to numbers The position of the Federatic abundantly was made clear at meeting held at High Wycom Fire Station, Buckinghamshire, Saturday 25th September. The Federation spokesman to members that he approved cutbac education and the conseque When the cu sacking of teachers. backs reach out to embrace the Fi Service no doubt the will also assist in the move to mal High Wycombe Fire Station a D sack Manning station, thirds of the men Members of the FBU must fig to root out the establishment any pockets ofthe Federation wit the FB and press in their areas leadership to fight the Federatic to and lead fight impro conditions for its members.

Page 12 Callaghan If there was an empty panies) Labour Party chair at the ignored by them. it should Conference have The been labelled 'Socialism'.

The Labour government, 'left' responsible for the fastest rise in National and the biggest unemployment fall wages and social services since the war, was not short of critics at the conference.

did not stop all the But that major capitalist policies which the Labour using to government is Any attack the working class from being steam-rollered through the conference.

SUPPORT

firms By the end of the first morning been overwhelming vote had were obtained in support of the policy

NEC.

wage control and the contract. After some reactionary lectur- whose the new Education ing from

DUASILYA

Williams, Minister Shirley conference defeated the mildest possible motion opposing cuts in unemployment! education spending. On other questions, the spokes- favoured men of the government made it quite clear that conference resol- utions passed against government class of policy (such the rejection import elections to the European parlia- trade war. ment and the nationalising of four

£6OO FUND

of £600. It is essential that we try and raise the full amount if the Socialist Press is to be able to expand and develop.

In the first four days of October Assembly Plant workers, £7.50; North London, £13; Coventry, £5 and Leamington, £5. Total so far: £30.50. All donations should be sent to: Socialist Press Monthly Development Fund 31, Dartmouth Park Hill London NW5 1HR

CAMPAIGN FOR

DEMOCRACY IN THE

LABOUR MOVEMENT

PUBLIC MEETING

Wage Control and Union Democracy Friday 8th October 7.30 pm. NUFTO Hall Jockeys Fields London, WC1 Speakers Alan Thornett Tony Kelly Keith Vaness No challenge to unprincipled rejection of working class internationalism Hugh Scanion Jenkins of ASTMS. Jenkins spoke of a "world-wide war" labour and capital. war between (that is, competitors". Japanese» among these were "the Worst (who Jenkins all belong to one who are conducting a "deliberate of British sections order to get tach nanas on some of "our"

RACISM

alist policies government, which borders on gives the Labour simply ment more credence. "lefts' arguments were references to the needs of capit- alism. Jenkins banks and seven insurance com- would aroganlly prepared to introduce far from called for a price freeze being opposed by the French government had intro members of Labour's duced one. Executive Committee, was given every assistance in its attempt to force these capitalist policies down the throat of the labour movement.

REJECTED

resolution which contained even a hint of struggle for socialist policies • (such demand for opening the books of creating redundancies OI of the whole , the nationalisation financial sector of the economy) rejected roundly At the end of the economic debate, Judith Hart, in a speech incoherence matched its 'Left" speakers said actually complimen- National Enterprise Board should ted the Labour government on the invest more because its measures it had taken to combat part in France did so. Judith Hart said that the alternative policy one nationalised by these 'lefts' of th nationalised in France. NEC and the trade union leader- ships was the familiar nationalist policies were collaborationist call for they did not threaten the capital- controls and capitalist ist system. Only in one The most strident calls for this conference pose any real challenge advice of the NEC, including the 'lefts' conference NUPE resolution rejecting present and future cuts in public expen- supporting diture, councils which refused to imple- ment them NEC to launch a campaign against them.

INCAPABLE

we received, BLMC Cowley from anything challenge the present leadership of Labout incapable of carrying out such a campaign in any significant way.

That campaign throughout the labour movement, in the trade unions,

WORKERS SOCIALIST

Labour Party not only against the government Labour

LEAGUE

against those "lefts'

PUBLIC MEETING

who refuse to launch a real fight.

Wage Control and Union Democracy Wednesday 13th October 8.00 pm.

WORKERS SOCIALIST

Southall Town Hall

LEAGUE

The Broadway

PUBLIC MEETING

Southall Birmingham The Black Struggle in

WORKERS SOCIALIST

South Africa

LEAGUE

Sunday October 17th

PUBLIC MEETING

7.30 pm Coventry Digbeth Hall Wage Control and Union Digbeth Democracy Wednesday 13th October 7.30 pm came from Now in its 19th week the Clive and from strike at Trico's has reached a crucial stage. He didn't mean a war between As the strike has developed it has become clear that the leader- He meant a what he called "us" ship of the

AUEW

T&GWU only pay lip-service to British capital) and "our the fight for equal pay. In this struggle, and 150 men involved according women have stood firm, and have been class) 'official' backing from the local District Committee of the to destroy

AUEW

industry in But the role of the leadership oil in the 1980's! of this District Committee and particular in Stalinist Secretary Roger Butler, has been to arrange for the strike commit- Far from combatting the capit- tee to travel all over the country of the Labour collecting money and calling on this kind of reaction, particular factories to 'black' the naked racism, products but avoiding the most govern- important question of all.

This is the fact that the EC of Despite the lip service that the the AUEW cond cal a nationa paid to socialism, all their official "black' and send supported instructions to all car or similarly the Midlands Region 5 TGWU Committee could back Scanion said import controls the calls for a 'black because While this is not done, what is government was developing another them; he Tubes' strike with T&GWU and because

AUEW

members using Trico products or and therefore helping employers to break this strike.

Just to list some of the main of last week makes clear events the scale of this crisis, the pressure capitalism to restore its profits at the expense of the workers *On Monday the pound fell sc sharply while Healey driving to the airport, after a rushed phone-call from Callaghan to Healey cancelled his trip to the IMF meeting in Manilla *During the clear that the IMF will demand Scanlon public spending that the increases totalling million as the blood-money for counter- its loan, plus a squeeze on the money supply further boosting banks should unemployment. because they were refused to deny that such package" was being prepared. In all cases, they implied, these *Healey spoke of thee million justified unemployed, and the streets'. But hand-picked the did Blackpool™ policy the his brought boos on an unprece- the dented scale. At the end of the Common Market cuts in passed the sidies foods by a thund once of easin hike Labour less than a year. At the same and calling on the the collapse Ellie, will boost import prices so to wipe out much of any £6 increases (t4 attet before present inflation are taken But the NEC's cowardly retreat account. which will Party makes must be built and in the but also of the NEC

BRITAIN

• Issues . 12 issues 24 issues 6 issues 12 issues 24 issues Press. I would like..

NAME.

ADDRESS

SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 6th October, 1976

TRICO-A NEW

FINE TUBES?

The strike committee should noW turn their membership toward these bureaucrats who say 'Keep working' in Leyland using Irico products, while at the same time they and the claim they are in favout of equal pay the following resolution wat the 350 passed Tuesday September: "This Brentford No. 2 Branch of the AUEW salutes the fight of our members of Trico equat pay for our striking for women members, demand which it is official policy of our District union to uphold. We, therefore, call upon the District Committee to involve all trade unionists and particulariy

AUEW

support of members 1n sisters and brothers at our Trico. The branch requests that the •District call for a national blacking of out Trico products and all substitute factories and requests that wiper blades the EC ratify that call. And further that the District Committee set a date for a day time demonstration in support Fine of the Trico strike and by so doing support the trade union either movement's policy to fight for alternatives equal eque, pay for work of equal the WAGES...Cont'd from Front Page despite this Yet the working undefeated and

HASI

ready to fight. Only the treacher- •ous and bureaucratic gendarmes in the top layers of the TUC protect the Callaghan cabinet from was and direct wages. that, unemployment.

STRANGLEHOLD

President Ford, Only the struggle for socialist leadership in the working class can became break the stranglehold the 0I bureaucracy and defend the most cuts and tax interests of the work- elementary £3,000 ing class. We demand: with the State-TUC *Down control of wages. Callaghan rises to pay cover

TADT

inflation in fuil! *End redundancies and unem- ployment! "rioting *For work sharing on full pay!

even among the in public * Kestore delegates at spending. public speech *For programmes of trade union rates to works at employ the unemployed *The 'lefts' week, must drive out sub- Callaghan and Healey. which *All Labour MPs and council- lors and all trade union officials must mus, sacking and pubic spending vote and against of sterling ca*Support the October 24th Conference for democracy unions 'and against wage levels of For the widest possible control. into support from labour movement organisations!

SOCIALIST

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