Socialist Press no. 45

GOVERNMENT

WAGE CUTTING

MUST BE FOUGHT

SOCIALIST

PRESS *

PHOTO: Chris Davies, Repor

TIM

The lying claims of Healey and Callaghan that the wage cuts embodied in the £6 and now the 42% pay deals would cut inflation and unemployment have been further exposed by the latest economic figures. What is brutally clear is that the 42% pay deal amounts to an attempt to force down the living standards of workers by well over 10 per cent in one year.

week's price figures Last August must on these showed that the decline in the figures, a cut in real wages of over rate of inflation over the past year 10%! quite definitely been nas now But this news on prices is just reversed. one indication that the arguments

PRICES UP

peddled by Labour and trade union leaders over the last two Instead, the government now years are completely false.

expects prices to rise by 15% over Last week it became clear that the next year. Even this figure the whole "strategy" economic depends on the Common Market able. To prevent a collapse of the continuing to pay an effective £1 pound, a historically unpreceden- million-a-day subsidy on the price ted 15% interest rate has been of British food imports imposed. be dropped with the devaluation dropped with the devaluation

LOANS

of the Green Pound. But this interest rate - payable So even before tax is deducted loans to private industry from it, the 4½% increase in wages on comnletelv undermines Healev's aim of stimulating more capital- ist investment. It makes nonsense of the line that spending cuts and redundancies in the public sector would be compensated by more investment and Jobs in industry. But not only this. Figures issued last week showed also that the cuts imposed on area public spending still have not been enough to meet Healey's target.

SOCIAL SERVICES

And combined with the rise in the interest rate and inflation, this will mean that even less public spending will be available for the social services. This means that even before the conditions which be WIll imposed the International by Monetary Fund (in exchange for the latest loans to back sterling) make themselves felt, there will need to be an almost immediate further round of spending cuts.

More cuts will of course cause redundancies and increase uncl And lie ployment. another by revelation that, although Labour Ministers claim each month that unemployment "reached has its peak Financial Times now quotes Treasury forecasting unemployment next year rising to 1,800,000.

INTERNATIONAL

Of course a key reason why the Labour government's packages of pro-capitalist policies have failed to work is because none of them are capable of resolving the ever- deepening crisis of the system itself both in Britain and inter- nationallv

FORTNIGHTLY PAPER OF THE

WORKERS SOCIALIST LEAGUE

NO 45 * 20th OCTOBER 1976 * 10g The Labour NEC at the end of the Party Conference - no opposition to wage cutting. Healey Healey's "strategy" has depen- ded all along on a sustained boom in the world economy, leading to 'export-led growth' That boom is already evapor- ating before even being noticed.

The latest economic figures show that already expansion is faltering United States, West the Germany and Japan.

MEASURES

In Western Europe, four governments within the space of France, Spain last week (Italy, and Britain) took measures which attack wages but only are intended to drive up unemploy- ment. making the working class carry the full burden of the crisis, capitalist economies are moving not towards boom, but towards intensified slump and trade war.

As confirmation of this trend, world prices of industrial raw materials (especially metals) have begun to fall rapidly, indicating Cont'd Back Page. Col. 4.

Stalinist Purges in Peking No commentator matter how "well-informed about palace intrigues ar Party cliques - can accurate assess the events now unf ding in Peking if he starts o from the surface appearanc of a 'left' versus 'right wil struggle. Only an analysis the politics of Chinese Stali ism can furnish any real k to understanding. Stalinism, from its origins un today, has been marked by t most extreme and opportunist z by political zags, intrigues manoeuvres. Its policies and lea ing figures are set up and ove thrown in sealed corridors, cut o from the masses of the worke

PATTERN

"overturn" Last week's China like the thunderbe disgracing of Liu Shao-chi at t beginning of the Cultural Rev ution, the death of Lin Piao and the orchestrati removal of Teng Hsiao-ping earli this year - conform exactly this pattern. Like Stalin's and his successo own purges and "reshuffles" eve the minor incidents recur - la week the Chinese official agency had "run out" of phot graphs of the funeral ceremoni for Mao three weeks ago - phot graphs in which, of course, Mac widow and her "accomplices Teng Hsiao-pin figure prominently. The purge of the "left-wingers which opened ten days following immedatel elevation of "stand-in" Hua Kuo-feng to the place vacate by Mao's death at the head of th Cont'd Back Page, Col. 1.

1We Z INTERNATIONAL nEWS

PORTUGAL

SOARES' RIGHT TURN

While the British Labour Government is daily attacking the gains made in generations of sacrifice by the working class, Portugal's 'socialist administration, faced by the world economic crisis, same is also involved in systematic- ally taking back all the gains made by Portuguese workers in the short intense phase of revolutionary struggle since the overthrow of fascism two and a half years ago.

"SCROUNGERS"

In his TV address to the nation 9th Septems party Prime Minister, Socialist leader Soares, (echoing his British counter- parts) 'scroungers' attacked and and the *new law Dreakers forms of oppression' in the workers scabs declared "unconstitutional".

organised take-overs of Portuguese farms and empty houses. Below: Soares. Indeed on Friday Ist October, the government announced a whole series of 'social against Measles prosecution inspectors guaranteed to gladden the heart os doctors every banker and reactionary.

The speech of Soares and the that followed it have not actions been devoted to the small Just beer of reactionary propaganda has followed by been campaign initiated on 27th Septem- "illegally ber to hand back occupied" land, especially in the Alentejo region, to the former law the social democrats and On 22nd September, Soares to teperate advised the workers operate had announced that: within the "We must obtain respect for the established by the government and law, even if necessary by force.

the military. In any case, many of the land-

NO RESISTANCE

owners will not want to farm the land any more now that wages have So far, the pushing back of these gone above subsistence level - they gains by the agricultural workers well be content with renting with serious met any land, even to 'collective farms'.

aRre resistance. The bureaucrats of the Portu-

REASON

guese Communist Party, who lead most of the workers involved, What lies behind these govern- the same respect for policies is the need have shown ment

SPAIN: ULTRA RIGHT STIRS

The conditions are rapidly maturing in Spain for decisive clashes between the ruling fascists and the working class.

A series of events have shown that preparations are being made by fascists for such a confron- tation.

DAMNSTIAN

First, the assassination, by matronatist ore sation i Ca, quea

ETA,

organisaTIon of the powerful Council member of the Realm brought the extreme organisations onto the streets right San Sebastien and Madrid demanding savage vengeance against anti-fascist movements and calling for a new, even more, reactionary government. The Suarez government had already been profoundly shaken by and consist of a new its failure in the face of ultra-right wage control, along with enforce resistance to forcibly retire two the abolition of virtually all the army generals who stood in the way controlling redundan- of even the fake "teforms" through cies. which it hopes to dupe the working Firms may now dismiss workers class. without limit or control and the The assassination is a further are that unemplowment wil dire blow to Suarez' doomed rise very rapidly as a result.

attempt to introduce mock demo- Workers' Commissions and the since it comes at the same moment as the mounting crisis of other illega trade union organisa- tions have already called a one day Spanish capitalism, reflected in the collapse of general strike against these recent share prices, demanding new, more severe, anti- measures. working class measures. But there is no doubt that the These were announced last week of workers will not be A captured member of the secret police is dragged off after the fall of fascism: now laws against these Portuguese capitalism to bring into line all parts of the Portuguese working class, including the power- ful industrial sector wilo nave sul not been confronted.

POSTPONED

Soares long-awaited TV speech allegedly because he had a 'minor indisposition' - but almost certain- it is said, because the ly, military leaders, particularly President Eanes, did not think his attacks on the class working were enough. prepared to stop at such limited actions. of strikes has new wave started to develop, begin- already ning with the building workers in Biscay province. It now looks very likely that the squeezed out of will Suarez soon out of office through of Pressure the workers' demands from one side and the mounting ruling class resistance to even fake "reforms" on the other.

It is that prospect which has prompted a major regroupment in the fascist camp. A new alliance of parties launched last week Like Callaghan and Healey, Soares talks of 'a nation living beyond its means, for and xport disy, and of the need He faces pressure not simply from international bankers, but also from the military who retain the tilecure power, release right wing political prisoners organise return owners and to create an atmosphere neo-fascist political groups wiere are allowed to grow.

"UNCONSTITUTIONAL"

On October 2nd this was assisted by a court ruling that a law passed against former members of the fascist secret police uncon- 4023 stitutional' leaving them to go new right-wing scot tree activities. But Soares also faces a strong and undefeated working class, and one that has tasted the fruits of recent revolutionary struggle.

October 12th for On example, several thousand workers in Lisbon the protesting streets,

LOUK

about education reactionary "reforms" introduced by Socialist Party Education Minister Cardia. This march - the biggest for several indicates the solid resis-

THOMS.

tence to Soares' right-wing policies within the workers movement.

This will no doubt be reflected in the Socialist Party Congress, due at the end of this month.

under the grotesquely inappropriate title of the 'Popular Alliance' This incorporates major parts of the right-wing Catholic 'Opus Dei Francoist wing of the group, Christian Democrats and other groups swearing allegiance to the politics of Franco. Its leading figure is Manuel Fraga Iribarne, the verbally "reformist and practically repressive Interior Minister of the last fascist govern- ment. Pist are and Socist Carry munist Socialist Party discussed a "national leaders have pact, has close links with Lopez Social Security Riga, formerly Minister to Isabel Peron's govern- ment in Argentina, and the original organiser there of the anti-working class death squads.

REACTIONARY

All these events reveal as starkly as possible the unalterably reaction- ary intentions of the Spanish ruling class. They expose more clearly than ever the criminal treachery of the Communist Socialist Party and leaders who continue to advocate a coalition government with the very people who carrying out systematic attack of workers' living the standards and organising merciless repression of the workers.

SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 20th October 1976

THAILAND

Coup to hold back revolution The of savage massacre in left-wingers students and 6th Bangkok on October followed a few hours later by a CIA-backed military take- over, put an end to the three- year facade of 'democracy' in Thailand. The pretext of the coup's leader Admiral and Defence Minister Sangad Chaloryoo that the students guilty of. 'anti- monarchist - can in no agitation way disguise its real reasons.

GUERILLAS

Throughout South East Asia the puppet dictatorships of US imper- ialism have been shaken by the triple revolution Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos in the spring oi 1975, and they are more and more threatened by guerilla and left-wing opposition, especially the countryside. In Thailand, the 'Parliamentary' of regime of Pramoj several unstable cabinets since the Thanom dictatorship was removed in 1973, was unable to impose the repression the officers and their US backers were demanding. Nor could they resist the demands for the complete with- drawal of US troops from the country - scheduled for earlier this year. The latest government crisis was precipitated by the return of the this provocation Ever since March the leadership ment - several of whose members have just gained senior positions under the new military junta - has been telling foreign expect "important developments' in UCLODeT Yet the coup in Bangkok by no OI peasant and guerilla resistance is so And the gathering opposition of the Bangkok workers movement to inflation and repression has been shown in a series of strikes and demonstrations in the last three years. Revolutionary resistance to imperialism and its servants is widespread in South East Asia In Manilla (capital of the Phillip- while IMF and World ines), even Bank chiefs were winding up their illegal demonstra- conference, an tion of several thousand came on the the phoney streets against 'referendum' by the organised Marcos dictatorship to give his rule a 'democratic' veneer.

SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 20th October 1976

CYPRUS

FRUITS OF

POPULAR FRONT

Supporters of Archbishop Makarios, Cyprus' devious, right-wing nationalist Presi- dent, have been elected to all 35 seats in the Cyprus parlia- ment in the recent elections.

Thirty-four of them were Popular Front members of alliance led Makarios' by

WWIL

Democratic Front Party. The two junior partners in this unprincipled alljance are Tne Cypriot Communist Party. known

EDEC,

and 'left-wing' the socialist party

EDEK.

Since the 1940s the Communist Party has been the strongest political party in Cyprus, with the support of 40% of the elections, and in control of the Makarios main trade union lederation, the uncritical support to Makarios as an

PEO.

"anti-imperialist" in spite constant deals with British and US

STRENGTH

imperialists which was Yet its leaders have consistently supported by the Soviet bureau- used this unrivalled political In 1975, with inflation running strength not to fight for the needs of the working class but to serve the CP-controlled unions al 1370. agreed the interests of some section of the TO ¿ wage "national interest ruling class. This part of the just CP During the independence leaders' consistent policy of making struggle against British colonialism, struggle against capitalism they cowered in the backeround "secondary question" while General Grivas' fascist EOKA allu leaders like Makarios led a move-

NOT OPPOSED

working class were submerged.

In spite of its strength the CP did his position to nothing oppose Sampson's murder Communist Party Nicos members, ultra-right coup just as he had done in the Greek of the Greek military Civil War in the 1940s. dictatorship. Since the early 1960s the Com- the smaller hardly less aten

EDEK

class-collaborationist, The Workers Socialist League The Workers Socialist League is a Trotskyist organisation fighting to build a revolutionary leadership in the working "left" and right class in opposition to the betrayals of both trade union leaders and the Communist wing Labour and Party. In the daily struggle to take the demands and principles of Trotsky's Transitional Programme into the trade unions, the WSL has been at the forefront of the fight for the sliding scaie of wages, and work sharing on full pay 1975 T&GWU Conference were the - demands which at the only alternative to Jones' 16 pay plan and the wholesale acceptance of In today's fight against the TUC's 4½% (rising according to the rising cost or living, as assessed by trade unions cutting deal with Healey this demand for a sliding scale of wages committees) is the essential basis of consistent opposition.

In the Health Service WSL comrades have led scale of NHS spending, for control of the service (beginning with opening the books of the Health Authorities), along with the fight to end all private practice. Perhaps the growing call for strike action to defend the NHS against the cuts and to implement these policies, fighting those like the ÄSTMS 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 wilter WSL comrades have tested and developed the demands of the Transitional Programme, putting forward in every case the only real opposition to the Stalinists and the right-wing. Our struggle for the demand in the motor industry and against all forms of "workers' participation' " have won mass responses.

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

that • tor transitional demands, going beyond mere trade union militancy to pose In doing this our comrades have been forced also to lead struggles for democracy against the bureaucratic manipulation of the But our struggle for the continuity of the principles of Trotskyism is in no way a task contined to britain. It requires an attention and invoive.

ment in 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 and the present crisis. . of the Trotskyist Fourth International, as an essential part of any serious initiative towards its reconstruction.

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

I INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Socialist Party organised armed resistance and many of its support- ers were massacred. When the Soviet bureaucracy supported the Turkish invasion of island the the Cypriot CP leaders first of all said it had been wrongly informed.

ACCEPTED

But later the party, which had led a once united trade federation of Greek and Turkish workers, meekly came accept LO the Soviet line of division of Cyprus on ethnic lines. For a short time this new line brought the CP leaders into conflict with Makarios. They transierred their allegiance - not to the work- of the ruling class led by extreme right-winger Glavcos Clerides But now the island is effectively partitioned, the CP leaders are back in their old role as altar-boys to the reactionary Archbishop.

SWEPT BOARD

Clerides, the CP accepted nine seats and allowed Makarios' party to take the lion's share. even get them a place in Makarios' The net result of these years of movement is a partitioned Cyprus.

unions under CP leadership do the bidding of the capitalists and tens of thousands of refugees from the In the northern Turkish section isations have been completely out- lawed Denktash's which is protected by the Turkish army. Such bitter fruits of are Stalinist years of class collaboration. The dictatorship military seized power on March 24th in not primarily (as Argentina the capitalist press implies) in order the guerilla to crush organisations, but to combat the growing mobilisation of the class against the working capitalist policies of the Peron government.

REPRESENTATIVE

This was made clear by Comrade Julio Mendoza, Huropean rebresen- tative of the Socialist Workers Party Argentinian sympathising of the «United Secre- organisation tariat of the Fourth International".

He was speaking at a meeting of solidarity with victims General Videla's repression called in London on October 6th by the Workers Socialist League.

He characterised the coup as totally anti-working class and pro- imperialist. He stressed in partic- ular the need of the Argentinian capitalists rapidly to destroy the "coordination growing commit- tees" which through the workers fighting the Mondelli Plan, were the last effort of the Peron govern- ment in March to attack the econ- omic position of the workers.

was through "coordin- objective of Labour The Foreign Secretary Anthony Crosland in calling the confer- ence on Zimbabwe, scheduled to begin in Geneva on October 28th, is to put an end to the independent armed struggle of the Zimbabwe people against racist rule. For Crosland, for his ally Kissin- ger whose diplomatic arm-twisting brought the conference about, for South African premier Vorster who assisted him, and for the capitalist class which they all represent, such a struggle by black Africans spens mortal danger. Smith For such a confrontation with imperialism will bring with it clear lessons to the mass of workers and Kimbabwe the

TORT

of enemy real independence Within such a struggle capitalism. the need for permanent revolution the flowing over of struggle inte the battle for socialisn will become plain. And such a struggle is bound to link up with the growing fight of black workers against repression in Africa, South capitalism's most treasured possession in the African For the Zimbabwean nationalist leaders to make a treacherous deal with Smith, as Crosland and Kissinger want them to, would not the black fatal to liberation movements, but could be a major

BELDALK

Smith comes to the conference having accept Will either the Kissinger proposal for a two-year interim

SOLIDARITY WITH

ARGENTINE WORKERS

ation committees" that the workers were posing a real challenge to the collaborationist leaders of the Peronist movement.

of Since the thousands leaders of these committees have been arrested,

THRACCO

kidnapped. And the force of repression has been especially hard on the political organisations of the left.

Many militants of the PST are missing or in prison and in danger of their lives. But Comrade Mendoza said, a defeat on the scale of Chile had not The recent wave platt in the militant strikes motor industry proved that the ruling dictatorship had not destroyed the fighting capacity of the working class.

STRIKE

This has been confirmed again by last week's major strike in the electric power industry, called after the administration had sacked large including the numbers of workers. most important local union leaders.

Comrade Mendoza attacked the the criminal policies of guerilia organisations, the

PRT/ERP

'and the 'left' Peronist Montoneros, who counterposed the armed struggle of an elite to the mass struggle of the working class. The Montoneros had consistent-

ZIMBABWE

which has power to "majority rule" constitution, anc which the white racists would - or nothing. nave velo power But well settle might something less satisfactory to white regime if he could be sun would severely damage the arn liberation struggle. None of the black leaders h fully Kissinger pl accepted the

ZAPU

though leader Josh Nkomo has implied his readiness compromise with it. Robert Mugabe of ZANU of the ŹI main political leader guerilla and hitherto army, most outspoken critic of the de has Nkomo now with mel issued a joint statement.

They have demanded the rele of all political prisoners before t conference and spoken of the ne for Smith to be counted, not as t leader of an independent delegati to the conference, but as part the British delegation.

SURRENDER

At the same time they call the unconditional surrender Smith and the racist regime.

But they do not make all thi condition of attending. They hi both agreed (as has Bish Muzorewa of the African Natio Council) to lead delegations to 1 conference and neither Nkomo I Mugabe has unamoicuous rul either negotiation with Sm or even participating in a coaliti government with him. Such a dangerously comprom ing position is to be expected basis of past experience fr tne Nkomo and Muzorewà.

STEP BACK

For Mugabe, however, it see represent serious step ba from the principled statements opposition with which he initia reacted to the Kissinger proposal the next of Socia Issue Press will print an intervi we with members of LAI icading with whom we shall take up th criticisms. Meanwhile, we urge all sociali to maintain the maximum possi pressure through the labour mo ment to prevent the Labour gove birth of an unprincipled betrayal the Zimbabwe people. "progressive pursued alliance sections capitalists. Instead he posed need for unity of action against t dictatorship. The Workers Socialist Leag speaker argued that the political differences between the WSL and both the P.

Internatior the British Marxist Group (which was al on represented the platfon should not stand in the way united action of those and oth organisations against the Vide dictatorship.

ACTION

The WSL stresses the need fol campaign of actions and not t verbal solidarity and appeals to t dictatorship for mercy, which cor from the Labour lefts. Socialists should campaign in t other worke trade unions and organisations to force the Labo government to break all trade a anti-worki financial links with class dictatorships such as the o in Argentina. particular all arms deliveri must be stopped until the dictat she vert in

WSL

invites all politi tendencies in the labour moveme to join a movement of solidarity that basis

Page 4

WAGE CONTROL

CONFERENCE

CENTRAL

questions as rents and the cuts.

cussions for those who seek to Kelly also described in detail the connivance of the trade union bureaucracy in the campaign lactions of the trade union and against him. August 1975 he had been In accepted as a member of ASTMS lof the Campaign for Democracy in after changing his job. He had paid his and attended meetings, NUFTO Hall in Central London on his branch tell being elecico lo committee.

JENKINS

Jenkins view to a local paper criticising the But now Clive right wing MP Michael O'Halloran, announced he was 'not a member.

Kelly had followed all the rules, said that there was no democracy in his branch thought he was agreed, member, but the When O'Halloran was selected as national leadership said he was not member because he had received a letter informing him of the fact. other

ASTMS

None of the at the meeting could members recall having received such a letter, But when Vanness was expelled, imagine, could any neithet, we other ASTMS members. ne found Comittee after internal Committee within the Labour Party But then they not been have fight to remove prominent in the appeal was still not heard.

Cabinet right wing

GALICILL

former secre- Minister. of the Speaking behalf Labour Party, explained that they Organising Committee, Alan Thornett said that the question of intimately linked democracy was their efforts to remove their ultra- to the struggle for wages.

right wing MP Reg Prentice.

SLIDING SCALE

ists and did not agree with Clause He outlined the fight for the scale of wages that he had sliding Prentice was no longer their candi- brought the 1975 Biennial of the Transport and be turning to defence of the General Workers Union, the only alternative there to wage freezing

SHETOSES

WORKAN

TYNDALE TEACHERS-

SCHPEGOATS

FOR THE CUIS

The Labour-controlled function to which the Tyndale issue ILEA has just voted in favour is being put, namely as a major plank education in the attack of a Tory proposal that a and, to that end, a means search should be made among militancy of curbing London's primary schools for teachers. other anti- 'other' William Tyndale's.

As many SO working class measures comprising Meanwhile the disciplinary hear- the social contract, the attack has ings to decide the fate of the six been lead not by Tories or by state victimised been teachers as representatives or the working delayed and whether they should representatives working is private OI. public still class, Labour councillors and undecided. trade union leaders. Hounded by the bourgeois media and long since abandoned by

FLEXIBLE R

the NUT, the Tyndale teachers have been treated as of embarassment by so-called Modern methods of teaching are more suited than traditional ones to "DIogressives'. At recent public producing 'flexible man' required meeting, Terry Ellis, the former headmaster, technology and have by modern likened 'progressive' education to a had the full weight of the bourgeois ploughing across snow, state behind them a good pursued by the wolves of reaction, decade. with those on the sledge minded to But adequate resources have ditch the Tyndale teachers never been available to implement burden and a "bad example'.

the low pupil teacher ratios and the This lack of support stems from and amount of equipment variety a failure to understand the political which these methods require.

and the social contract. Jones had refused to carry out any of the policies agreed at that conference in calling for increased spending, reduced public ullvil ployment etc., except on the one question of wage limitation.

The seamen had made a big dent in the incomes policy, Thornett continued, sections of and many workers were now looking for a way through. The trade union leaders were determined to hold back any such struggle. Thus at British Leyland, thes to abolish the Oxford moved i11 District Automotive Group of the

ENEW MARSTON FIRST SCHOOL

ELESS EDUCATION A

(=A POORER FUTURE

SUFTER

fight union members. With the deepening of the crisis sharpens. recommendation of Chief Tyndale. having been found to charge the But then the Labour Group of the ILEA, intervening in this report committee, voted by an overwhelm- teachers, and to change the charge Hadow from misconduct as 'the main architect?

inneficiency.

LABOURITES

From the very beginning it was Islington and Labour councillors

MORISEA

4% T&GWU when elections ended the right wing majority question of democracy in The the trade unions was intimately linked fight for the living standards of the members.

Comrade Thornett went on to call on groups on the left to all support this conference. that the organising committee had been particularly disappointed by the response of the IMG, who said the conference should only call for a return to free collective bargain- ing.

IMG

speakers from the floor emphasised their view that the policies of the campaign were too Oxford teachers on strike against the cuts - but NUT leaders prefer to school managers, (who have never waged a fight on poverty or cuts in educational spending) who parents to sign encouraged petition and build the campaign to scapegoat the teachers. The Executive Committees of North London and Inner London Teachers Associations, both Stalinist-dominated, claim they sup- ported the teachers until they took unofficial strike action and set up the pirate school.

COUNTERMANDED

bodies had flatly In fact both countermanded the decision taken by the North London branch that no inspection should be cooperated with until the political allegations that had been made had been mouled Ito Both NLTA and ILTA have steadfastly refused to lead any real fight beyond propaganda protests defence of teachers' jobs and SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 20th October 1976 advanced' and said that democracy was not the central issue facing the working class, but the spending

CUITS

One IMG spokesman said that if nis union branch was too democratic they would only elect the right wing! Other speakers from the floor emphasised the importance of the issues being raised by the campaign in different sections of the Labour movement.

FORCED IN

There was a discussion of the 14/15 Rule for Trades Councils forced in by the TUC in alliance with the Communist Party, and fought against with particular tenacity in some of the local Trades Councils in in London, especially Camden. Other speakers said something of the attacks that had been launched other local against inem when in Labour Parties they had protested of Keith against the expulsion Vaness. Among the union branches which have voted since our last edition to send delegates are two Merseyside ASTMS branches; the Health Branch and the Leeds 507 from the PSF Cowley Branch of ACTSS and Oxford NUR as well as the

NUJ

Book Branch.

ASTMS

516 (Publishing) Branch are sending observers.

CAMPAIGN FOR

DEMOCRACY IN THE

LABOUR MOVEMENT

Conference on

WAGE CONTROL AND

UNION DEMOCRACY

Sunday 24th October Digbeth Hall, Birmingham.

Sessions 10am - 12.30pm. 1.30pm - 4.00pm. Credentials, 50p, from Kevin Lee, Campaign Secretary, 44, Devonshire Road, Handsworth Wood, Birmingham 20 conditions of work. They will relish the example of teachers disciplined taking I0I unofficial action as a whip with which they can beat down militancy in other sectors.

ANY SCHOOL

The charges laid the against Tyndale teachers could be made against virtually any school in the The crisis in the schools reflects the social and economic crisis with- in capitalism itself. The attempt to lay the blame for this at the feet of these six teachers can only be done through a string of trumped up and rigged accusations. We • must fight to turn the belong accusations where they national the local and against bureaucrats of the Labour Party and the NUT.

NEW BROADSHEET-

OLD CP BETRAYALS

SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 20th Uctober 1y70

BUT THE SAME

The Communist Party is at It was Robinson who moved on present selling a 'Broadsheet' the Longbridge Joint Shop Stewards Committee a resolution on the motor industry which that not only aimed at stopping any brings clearly the out very strike action but actually said that reactionary b policies of this of would section workers "impede organisation. production" unti full procedure had been exhausted.

Printed in July, the Broadsheet gives some idea of how part of the

ULTIMATUM

Communist Party is moving to the right, hand hand with the 10 reformist trade leadership. union the 'participation' committees who These moves to the right are in line with the requirements of

TECHINV

capitalism. The Broadsheet refers to: Inen ballorig "...the attempt use new to Whittaker's three-day ultimatum on stick to beat the Investment a a proposals for a 40% improvement workers. One of the first acts by in productivity on the new Mini.

the Leyland bosses was to threaten If these proposals • the witholding of further invest- ment uniess the workers complied with demands for more production and that they should forego their we don't know right to action they fit saw to remedy industrial of the Broadsheet disputes. This blackmail had the objective contains the reactionary nationalist of intensifying exploitation through motor industry. These centre on speed-up on the one hand and on the other the elimination of indus- combined on the other with a vague trial action. In short, management used the fact that the had put the capital up to try LU workers in Britain and overseas so force the workers into the position that all can unite in their common of tamely surrendering all their struggle against the multinationals."

hard-won rights and trade organisation which would leave

NOT EXPLAINED

them powerless to resist any further attacks. How The other side of the pressures these two demands are Leyland supposed to go not Ine Logardel threat that, unless they did explained. what Import controls of course mean "be dosed the new eyes denied the "own" new government aid getting together with your and it would fold up. This is pure nation's employers. In this way bluff. The they are fit for "participation" Leyland's bosses full well demands know Broadsheet: that the labour

HOTCHCAL

hirt people would not tolerate such "Using existing participation schemes in British Leyland to press Because

LIC

polIcal, economic and social consequences, for more investment." "Fight arise, no government participation would dare take such a step."

schemes all of levels the company that trade unionists start take decisions

STAR

the company's future." This is If this was the position of the the position that leads Communist Party in July, look Robinson line the to up with Derek Robinson. Convenor employers everyone of their attacks on the workers he is sup- le the mender of bridge Works, leading member the and posed to represent. writer in the Morning Star has done within four months of this state-

BOOKS

FOLROSE

THE

THE TRANSITIONAL

PROGRAMME

BATTLE FOR

The Death Agony of Capitalism and

TROTSEYISN

of Tasks the Fourth inter- natonal...................3Up

BEHIND THE SMOKESCREEN

workers press An analysis of the sectarian politics of the WRP.. .40p (p&p: 10p)

SOCIALIST

TROTSKYISM TODAY

PRESS

BACK ISSUES

"Fourth International Problems and Tasks". 15p "In Defence of a Great Revolutionary: James P. Cannon" by Tim Wohlforth 10p The Post-war Reconstruction of Capital- Documents of the Oppos- ism" plus a reply to Wohlforth's article expelled ition from the on Cannon. • 5p Workers Revolutionary "The General Strike" 5p of the Party 1974, aIL "The Significance WILl tional account of the expulsions.

Programme" 5p Price 20p p&p p&p: 6½p available from WSL. 31, Dartmouth Park Hill, London NW5 IHR Almost two weeks ago, on 9th October, •Noel Jenkinson was found dead in his prison cell at Leicester. there that he had been It was serving life-imprisonment for his alleged part Aldershot bombings of February 1972.

The official verdict is that he of "natural" died but in Causes, reality his death was merely the climax of a recent wave of violence against prisoners. The Labour Movement which Delegation, visited Ireland during mid-September, made a preliminary report of its findings to a 100 strong audience at the London of School Economics on Monday 11th October. Delegates spoke of their impres- sions of the trip, which lasted four days visited Dublin, and Cross- maglen and Belfast. final report has Although the not been written yet, there seemed to be a general Conses old delegates that the only way to further the Irish people's right to self-determination was to call for an immediate withdrawal of British troops.

†'PEACE

TIM

IRISH MILITANT DEAD IN CELL

Thus, 2nd September, prisoners at Hull jail demonstrated against prison warder brutality; on September, prison officers

JOLIE

attacked Republicans held Albany Jail, and at the coroner's inquest, Mr. Ian Glick, representing Mrs. reeling net tend stated that Noel nad recentiv victim of three vicious assaults by staff. Yet the refused coroner accept the statement and brought in a verdict of "death from natural Delegation reports back Delegates emphasised this contrast to the British Communist Party's call for "a return of troops to barracks" pending their eventual withdrawal. One delegate pointed out that in Crossmaglen; the troops were effec- tively confined to barracks yet they still managed to intimidate and oppress the people of the area.

Socialist Press will carry a full analysis of the delegation whenever the final report appears.

We would, however, urge all Trade Union branches that supported the dele- gation, to contact the

VIRANGIN

and ask for speakers to give a report on their findings. The address to write to is: Labour Movement Delegation to Ireland, 1, North End Rd., London W.14. Leyland car bodie causes". This verdict can only please ti British Noel's deal government. now means that his petition to th Court of Human Rights at Stra bourg will be dropped. th And is especially convenient, given th just six weeks ago, the same cou found Britain usir guilty of torture in Northern Ireland.

Noel Jenkinson had a fine recor unionist and as opponent of British domination c Ireland Until 1962 he member of the British Communis Party. Thereafter, he was a leadin militant Holloway Bus Garags in and in 1968 became Chairman o the Islington Irish Civil Right Solidarity Campaign. While he went in prison, hunger strike solidarity wit In Frank Stagg, and, result spent months in solitary confine ment.

REPRESSIONS

after a sarcial ona, marked th Noel's imprisonment in againsin trist mitants pressio against Irish militants His 10W country. signifies a further round of repres Exactly how Noel died What is clear is that we it unclear. the labour movement have a dut ascertain all the facts of hi death. By doing this we WIll furthering the cause fo actively which he died the removal troops from Ireland and an end to British rule there.

DEFEND THE METHOD

OF THE TRANSITIONAL

essons from the split in the Workers nternationalist League (Greece).

This is the second of five 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 Revølutionaries do not their assively propagandize cialist programme or ther they don't limit them- Ives to propaganda. lead every They organise and uggle, they push the struggle the practice in and mess of its dese one appropriate appropriate cational vocabulary, but they al any moment Icacy to charge eir slogans, to combine them with every new stage of the ners, But the sectarians justify their Tusal to take up the struggle for a ass revolutionary party with their mical rejection of such a policy "reformist".

WAR

To engage in war against a bour- which is so expenenced. so exible and so ruthless, the bour- successfully aisie fended its power under the most ied conditions and to approach th a war armed with ready-made in advance hemes excluding "manoeuvre" in our practice is not only ridiculous but aiso

LACIULD

Lenin says in Left Wing Com- anism: "Is it not like making a difficult cent of an unexplored and hither- inaccessible fusing in advance ever to move in ever to retrace one's steps, -zags, to abandon a course once ected and to try others?"

(Left Wing p.53) But read the WRP Perspectives!

only want to Everything different raight lines. sturbs the calm routine of their opagandistic circle. They write: upsurge of

PROGRAMME

name of the International Committee of the Fourth International.

revisionism to produce a mountain of quotations which instruct working class to pass through series of stages of experience with social-democracy, right at the point where, on the contrary, the objec- tive conditions necessitate a revol- working utionary leap by (Page 7). Ciass...

OPPOSED

Our sectarians find the series of quotations heavy going because the WRP is essentially opposed to the whole voluminous work of Lenin and Trotsky, not to mention Marx and Engels. Listen gennemen. "Here find that the again "lefts" Wing [Left Communists] do not know how to reason, do not know how to act as the party of a of the ciass. as the Musatu You must not sink to the level of the masses, to the level of the back- strata of the That is ward You must tell them incontestable. You are in duty the bitter truth. bound call their bourgeois- and parliamentary democratic prejudices what they are prejudices. But at the same time follow the must soberly actual state of the class conscious- ness and preparedness of the entire class (not only of its communist and of all the working vanguard), people (not only of their advanced elements). (Page 42). "left" English Commun- To the ists Lenin also explained that they should help the working class to that through its experience right when they

COMMISS

accuse the traitors.

ELECTIONS

He proposed that in the world revolution . - NLF takes Saigon Labourites Ramsey MacDonald and Henderson - Lenin advocated to support them "as a rope supports a hanging man".

Labourites Henderson and Snowden against the Conservatives Lloyd George and Churchill, to "as the rope supports support them a hanged man" "To act otherwise would mean hampering the revolution, since revolution impossible without a change in the of the views of the majority working class, change brought about by the political experience of the never by propaganda alone." «'To lead, the without without turning, this slogan is obviously wrong...

p.67). (Left Wing Communism The sectarians teach us, contrary to Lenin, that we should ignore the "degree of the consciousness Trotsky, masses. too, whom they claim to follow is radically opposed SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 20th October 1976 American workers the advantages of socialism. But he sees socialism as a of propaganda, and he dens on sen it he a slage of enter.

vention of ever economic struggle" , as a slogan for agitation or immediate activity.

This difference between propa- ganda and agitation was known to revolutionaries from the early days, but petty bourgeois sectarians have never bothered themselves with it.

Let us remind them that such a distinction exists. They would have already noticed 11 they had real contact with the masses. have noticed that They would and levels of difference layers consciousness exist within the mass would take and they this fact into account when they took tactical decisions.

CLEARED

In What Is Io Be Done? Lenin clears the confusion on this fighting against the question, economists. of Russian in (place propaganda the economists substituted agitation around econ- omic demands, while in place of agitation they put "simple appeals" 'We congratulate the Russian - and international -Social Democ- having found, racy on thanks to Mertynoy, a new terminology, more strict and more profound.

Hithero we thought (with Plekhanov, and with all the leaders of the inter.

national working class movement) that the propagandist, dealing with, say, the question of unemployment must explain the capitalistic nature of crises, the cause of their inevit- ability in modern society, the necessity for the transformation of this society into a socialist society, etc. word, he present "many ideas, • so many, indeed, that they will be understood as an integral whole only by a (compara- tively) few persons. The agitator, however, speaking on the same subject, will take as an illustration fact that most glaring and most widely known to his audience, say the death of an worker's family from unemployed starvation, the growing impoverish- ment, etc, and, utilising known to all, will direct his efforts to presenting a single idea to the "masses", the senselessness the contradiction between the certainly accuse Trotsky of "adap- increase of wealth and the increase tation" the of poverty; he will strive to rouse to spontaneity in following passage: discontent and indignation among "I think that in the beginning the this crying the slogan (sliding scale of injustice, leaving a more complete wages and hours) will be adopted. What is explanation to the propagandist.

this slogan? Consequently, the propagandist In reality it Is tne operates chiefly by means of the printed word; the agitator by means number divided into the total number of of the spoken word. The propagan- different dist qualities hours. But if we from those of the agitator. Kautsky present the whole and Lafargue, for example, we term socialist system it will appear to the propagandists; Bebel and Guesde utopian, something from Europe. We present (Lenin, Collected Works pp409.

it as a solution to this crisis which 410), must assure their right to eat, drink What did Trotsky have to say on and live in decent apartments. It is this question? the programe of socialism, but in a very popular and simple form.

LABOR PARTY

the Transitional (Discussions on Programme, May 19th, 1938).

From the time of Trotsky right Trotsky does not mean of course

*LALAT PRESS. I

Wednesder Z0rt October I976 French General Strike - May-June 1968.

Party in America, counterposed to why we must say to the workers, the masses: you must have a party.

the two bourgeois parties Repub- lican and Democrat which have But we cannot say immediately to these must join monopolised the political life of the Шабось,

OLLI

country, has not been possible.

party. In meeting 500 would The slogan and the struggle for the need for a labor agree a Labor Party has been on the party. Only five agree to join our agenda since the 1930's when it was which shows that the slogan advanced together with the struggle of a labor party is an agitational for the building of the Socialist Workers Party as part of the Fourth members of our party] is for the International. more advanced. period of imperialist In the Should we use both slogans or and on the threshold decay one? I say both." World War II, the American (Discussions on the Transitional working class needed not simply a Programme May 31st, 1938).

party but needed a revolutionary If it was possible that the masses party. Marx Nevertheless, Trotsky thought accept the socialist programme all

SWP

members should not limit at once and so flock all at once into themselves appealing the the revolutionary party which is working class to rally into the SWP: necessary for victory, the need for This was a propagandistic task a transitional programme, for trans- Taking into of itional demands and for tactics in development of the consciousness general would not exist. But the question is how will the of the Trotsky consiered what the Sap, American working pushed forward, masses be in the should call on the class, of everyday struggle, working to process conceive the necessity for socialist (ie. the Unions) build their revolution? party. Naturally they did not call for it to be a reformist party.

METHOD

In discussions with members of the SWP in 1938, Trotsky said: "In Minneapolis [where the SWP Trotsky, in the Transitional Programme, had tries precisely to train its biggest strength to the the cadres Fourth Inter- prestige we cannot or tne national in the method which must trade unions you should adhere to guide their everyday activity within the Socialist Workers Party. It would be joke the masses, showing them how they EVAn must help the masses forward.

Minneapolis... "The of a political Neither socialist slogans, nOT necessity transitional slogans, must be simply counterposed by ready-made and objective situation, party is too small, with too little intlexible lists to the living struggle of the masses. order to organise the cute become carnapecor Trotsky speaking during the Civil War.

has a relationship with the workers and of movement experience understands that even minimum succeed cannot possibly demands if simply counterposed to the

MATURED

Even a simple strike for wages or conditions cannot begin unless it has matured, unless the leader- ship takes into account factors in formulating these econ- these demands, and unless

CITIC

demands are presented in the most appropriate manner Going through Trotsky's discus- sions with members of the SWP on the question of the Labor Party, can observe now lar removed propagandistic was from approach the transitional Norms. He says: "Into this Labor Party we will slogans. channel our transitional Evidently not all at once, but one to the degree that other, the chances will be offered to us.

the another discussion Transitional Programme, referring sliding scales of wages and The hours, Trotsky says that: discuss "Everywhere, we must idea, in all how this localities present He gives a concrete example: "I believe that we can concen- trate the attention of the workers [the sliding scales]. on this pomt Naturally this is only one point.

the beginning this slogan is totally adequate for the situation.

But the others can be added as the develop- ment proceeds. The bureaucrats will oppose it. Then if this slogan becomes popular with the masses, tendencies will develop in latell We will say that we opposition. need to develop defence squads."

(May 19, 1938) Is there anything in common between Trotsky's method and the method of the petty-bourgeois sect in the leadership of the WRP?

FULL LIST

The WRP formulate comprehen- sive lists of the "objective tasks" of the working class, watching pedan- tically not to miss anything out.

This is the way they train the International Committee whole They see to feel reason disturbed, existing complacent and comfortable in the routine of their small circle. whole of their activity is June dedicated to the self preservation of their petty bourgeois leading clique whine here at mine the time when working "leap" they the amous have continuously predicted.

Their degenerate method reaches to heights of cynicism. They almost working biass to defeated under Stalinist leadership, supposing that the working class. will in this way learn the value of

WRP,

correctly the since they warned it would happen. There no monument to the history of the cynicism in workers' movement comparable to this extract from the perspectives 4th International Congress of the International Com- "As of the international part of Iole Stalinism, Stalinist Tae will undoubtedly (!) parties lead the workers in certain cases (?) to defeats. There will be no shortcuts around these experiences (!), as the working class goes through the decisive preparations for the struggle for power." This is not the method of revol- utionares. method

NAT

arnical petty bourgeois, who finished for 2o0d. Neo-Hegelianism and Dialectical Materialism Behind the sectarian falsification of Marxism, there are not only the material conditions which fed it, philosophical but also method the method bourgeoisie, subjective idealism.

The science of dialectics sealed book for the remained prophets of the WRP, despite their prolonged theoretical and revision- ist wanderings. Every work of Marxism and its method classical reduced these sectarians by wels simply to material for propaganda.

COVERED UP

What is more, they use dialectic- categories the manner sophistry, invoking 'contradictions' to cover up their idealist theories and their opportunistic practice These tricksters who expect the in a singte bold their "Perspectives type in document for the WRP Conference: So, the form of the 'bridge' the unity and conflict between the revolutionary party and the working class." "theory" Nonsense! This has nothing in common with dialectical materialism. It sends us back to the days of Bruno Bauer and the whole Holy Family of the neo-Hegelians, which amused Marx in his time and still amuses his followers. "conflict" which the WRP The petty bourgeois sect describes as a conflict between the party, (which is the 'conscious' element) and the simply working class 'spontaneity'), represents only an idealist diving into a vacuum.

it is an argument of In practice, the propagandist with the workers.

as The world does a result of such "heroic" battles of of ideas. "The arms for the cannot be a substitute criticism of arms", wrote Marx What distinguished Marx from is that they previous phicsophers, all believed that men should first of all reject their wrong conceptions and the woild correctly, in see order to change it. They could not understand that wrong ideas which they Ine were rooted not within criticizing people's heads, within the Dul conditions of people's material Legested except through practical could not be rejected except activity to change these conditions.

Ideas are neither self existent nor self moving. They reflect the movement of the material world.

CONFLICT

Every development, in the world of reality and of ideas, originates first and foremost with the conflict of material forces and interests.

possibility of the working class developing socialist conscious- ness exists within material reality.

This reality, characterised by the deepest-ever economic crisis of the is the result of capitalist system, the many sided activity of man: of work, of technological and scientit ic progress, of the class struggle, of individual conflicts capitalists, of preceding wars and revolutions and of the inflationary applied by the imperialists policy after the la policy apolied not • 177T. 1 Page 7 willingly. nor on the comme of caller Keytas. individual because the impere s choice!. Now the imperialists are 32e to normalise the contactises their sistem 0 to 1e old imposing the -==: =: The therefore problems without the energy their hands. But the of colonial The robbery' has good. by one risen oppressed one Now the can get what they only through It is successfully war. working "he only exclude their system. The economic of which De Gaulle so proud was only one of the 1968. his is his Though man, through ideas change changes material teality, This ideas slowly more objective gap realitys nd ya's thie oa which retains many the ideas his head during the rooted into the period of previous period, boom. The working class, hit by the crisis, thrown into Healy (front) with (right) Slaughter, IC Secretary.

of defend its standard living. Initially - and inevitably - it does through the old organisations and old forms of activity.

But in its everyday struggle, the working class not only changes the world, but also its own thinking, and creates the conditions and forward movement for qualitative "leap" in its conscious-

WRONG

working with sees old class working day proved conceptions every wrong. rejected class. through strage r confusion, the aiter inevitable stage possibility is created for the masses ideas and accept new corresponding to their conceptions, better adapted to their experience, needs. of a really revol So the task utionary leadership is not complet- ed by propagandising fixed lists of slogans, but on the contrary, it first of the task of organising and leading the struggles of the working class for its demands the help draw necessary lessons from its own practice, , and in this way. develop its conscious- and drive the ness movement forward for the final battie.

This is the only way to train really revolutionary cadres, leaders of the masses, rather than clique propagandists in small circles.

In this way the party broadens of its propagandistic the scope itself an activity and creates for ever-increasing audience of workers and youth who will peasalts of the crisis, examine its analysis socialism, and the state, Stalinism, so on, and will join the party.

Continued Next Edition

Page 8 Part Four of our series of South history on • le Afri On October 26th the Transi: i, a small area of South Africa about the size se, will be given "inde- Denm South pende Africa, government. The ranskei is one of the ten African cribal areas or Bantustans fin whic: Africans are permitted to land and carry on farming activity for themselves. The south Atrican government eventually, if all goes well intends with the Transkei, to turn all these areas into independent States.

This manoeuvre, it is important to understand, in no way the rising demands concession to for freedom from economic and political tyranny in South Africa by the oppressed African masses.

On the contrary, granting inde- pendence to the bantustans 1s ‹ way of attempting further repres- sions of the masses.

CHEAP LABOUR

The Bantustans and tribal home- lands fulfilled have traditionally two functions for the capitalists in South Africa. In the first place they have been a source of cheap labour and industries owned for the mmes by South African and international capital. of this By the early years century the native population of driven off Africa had been south their land and into the areas which now make up the Bantustans. These areas add 13% of the to only land area of South Africa although Africans are 70% of the population.

The remaining 87% of the land, best agricultural land and mineral deposits, remains in the hands of the whites, who are 16% of the population. the Of course, within white itself, land population is concen- trated in the hands of the mining and manufacturing capitalists and the big farmers.

DESTRUCTION

This land robbery meant the destruction traditional African peasant economy. In 1954 government Enquiry pointed out what had been obvious previous

TOT

years - that the tribal areas could population not support that had been forced onto them, 70% of the land in these areas being useless rot aancuture. The Commission calculated that the tribal areas could only sustain half their existing population. The population density in the Transkei for examole 1s mener than 17 Black Africa and the country income per traitor te Transkei annual income per head averages 97 dollars compared to 180 dollars in Nigeria, and 210 dollars in Zambia dollars in Tanzania. What the Commission did not of point out was that this state

COUNC

of affairs was just what the South African capitalists and their govern- ment had intended. As a result of starvation and declining agricultural output, in the Bantuštans peasants were compelled to purchase more and more of their food from the white capitalist farmers. To do this they needed money,

SOUTH AFRICA

THE BANTU HOMELANDS'

HOMELAND

Botswana 1 Boputhatswana Tswana 2 Lebowa 3 Ndebele Ndebele 4 Garankulu & Tsonga 5 Vanda Venda 6 Stazi Swazi Kimberley o 7Essotha. South Sotho 8 Kwazalu Zulu 9% anshei Xhosa Xhosa Ocean and to get money they have to send up to 50% of their young men as migrant workers to the mines and industries of "white' South Africa where they are forced to work for wages lower than almost any other industrial country in the world.

The Bantustans thus have independent economic existence. They survive only as a source of cheap labour for the capitalists.

the Bantustans But also have fulfilled a very important political class. the Firstly, they have been a method of maintaining tragmentation the working class. The migrant labour system has and meant ranid labour turnover.

the facilitated the pass laws nave rapid deportation of militants and trade unionists back to the country- side. capitalism cannot However. avoid for long digging its own grave.

showed DICTIONs Bloemfontein Indian Ocean

GAIN

ARE NEV

TRANSKEI:

THE FRAUD OF

'INDEPENDENCE'

article, the development of manu- facturing industry since the last war has been unable to resist the formation of a permanently urban- ised section of the working class whose youth the are current wave of vanguard of the rebellion against repression and of the fight for democratic rights.

Knowing that any struggle for democratic rights under present conditions will turn into a struggle againt capitalism itself, the ruling South Africa has been desperately seeking ways strengthen its political suppression of the masses. In no capitalist country has the ruling class been able to suppress the working masses by State repres- sion alone. To maintain a regime of repression for any length of time of other requires the cooperation social groups or classes outside the ruling class. Historically the South African alliance with the labour aristocracy of white skilled workers as the basis of repression against But with the growing militancy workers in the face of police brutal- element of ruling class strategy now ruling group of chiefs and stooges.

alm nas been Dursued by the South African ruling class from increasing the political "autonomy" of the Bantustans has gone hand in hand with the stripping of normal democratic rights from the masses.

SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 20th October 1976.

be used extend the political to chiefs over the control the thousands of Africans permanently South resident . 1n Africa Africans will become "citizens"

I ENDS TRANSMIT

of their respective Bantustans on an ethnic basis whether they live there

ENTERING THE TRANSKE

Thus all African workers of Xhosa will become citizens Transkei. of the This will include of intention those no who have going there. they will all In one move become the political subjects of the of Chief Kaiser government as one of Matanzima. well known the most right wing collaborationist stooges of Vorster. time the African At the same workers will lose their South becoming citizenship, Atrican foreigners their own country in and any all, worker subject to almost instant *this country" for deportation any trivial offence British workers Imagine had their British citizenship taken away and replaced with citizenship of an independent Isle of Skye to which they could be deported British immi- under the existing what laws, imagine eration crippling blow to elementary trade union rights this would be.

BLOW

the blow that This is precisely Vorster aims to strike to stem the rising tide of workers' struggles in South Africa. The Transkei has been chosen as for independence test case because of the firm pro Vorster stand of Chief Matanzima, who des- cribes the government's policy as "an epoch making event that is the product of peaceful evolution and an orderly transfer of power to the

BUPHELONG

people of the Transkei. Matanzima, it should be noted, has for the last 13 years been ruling with an iron fist those aspects of the tanske which the government left Since has to his jurisdiction "Proclamation 400" all civil liberties and suspended granted unlimited powers to of and his coterie Matanzima government appointed chiefs.

SUPPRESSED

and is Bantustan policy except independ- Police in an African suburb.

African bourgeoisie succeed in this Africans trom move to cripple the rising workers?

movement by turning workers into and set up a Native Representative Council (white) MPs to represent the entire because of the contradictions built Firstly, no economic basis exists for the growth of a black class which could become the ruling then abolished the Council, and the Africans as far as the government were concerned, became the "tribal time removed any vestiges of democratic The Transkei, for example, for some years before the war had an effective power in the hands of the of the Bantustans which historically Ches. 1959 Bantu Self Govern- ment Act removed the last remain- bourgeoisie certainly cannot afford development that does take place in Bantu Homelands Constitution Act of 1971 and the remaining in the hands of the South African State through the various Bantu Development Corporations.

18% of the finance provided by the under the firm control of the Chief loathe to come and set up plant in the Bantustans when it can locate Thus the policy of stripping the of democratic rights masses South Airica and at the same time Thus in 30 years only 5,520 new political domin- strengthening the ation of the chiefs by "repres them in control of the only entative" bodies left to Africans - nominal 'rulers of the Bantustans any the real decisions KHOme It. What is new is the move to give affecting their territories was aptly political independence the expressed by Mr Botha the Minister Bantustans and create the illusion for Bantu Affairs in that they are independent sovereign "legislative assembly" the Lebowa Bantustan last year: States though to date the United Nations Black African states "Politicians should...bear and in

SOCIALIST PRESS,

Wednesday Z0th October 1976 their territory." Also, precisely because. of the lack of any economic viability of Bantustans themselves the thought workers in Allical urban areas are to become their citizens strikes panic among the chiefs. Suppose, that they reason. as unemployment rises in the cities more and more of our citizens' are

STARVATION

Lack of jobs and soil erosion will result in starvation, on a massive scale. Last May the Transkei legis- lative assembly rejected the clauses in Vorster's draft constitution for independence which would make all Xhosa people its citizens.

Needless to say. Vorster paid no attention to this at all and intends to proceed as planned. The crucial fact is above all others however that the have clearly demonstrated that they have absolutely no illusions whatso- ever in Matanzima's "independent" Transkei. Over the last period of struggles since June again and again the slogan has been for majority rule Matanzima and democratic rights within South Moreover and Africa. the strikes demonstrations have been not South African the against State terror but also Matansima and his stooges.

When on August 20th this year 266 black students were arrested by Mount Frere the police at Transkei explicitly demonstrating independence, Matanzima left no room for doubt as to where Speaking against demonstrators he said: ...force will be met by force behaviour will and criminal be extinguished by all necessary » So strong was the rejection of independence the sternsen demonstrations that chiefs of the other Bantustans wishing, unnke Matanzima, to salvage the last dregs masses announced they would refuse if independence CYCl offered them.

FIVE VOTES!

Finally, in Soweto, Xhosa workers called to vote at the end of September in the "Transkei General Election" flatly refused to do so According to the Financial Times of 30th September "late last electoral officers reported night that the election had been a flop because fewer than five voters had cast their votes most of the at polling stations in the Township."

By John Lea

BROAD LEFT

DODGES

TEACHERS

JOBS FIGHI

In when cuts in a year education spending are clearly going to escalate, threatening the jobs of thousands more teachers and throwing further into question the prospects of new trainees, 'the fight for a programme in defence of jobs and standards in education is a crucial one. Yet within the National Union of Students it is plain that the Com- munist Party-dominated "Broad Left' leadershio has no intention of learning any lessons from last year's militant but isolated struggles by student teachers. Broad Left Journal The latest shows that on the contrary they are determined to lead student teachers down the same road to the dole queue they mapped out last year.

journal issue Letterie The only confusion on this question in the heads of the Broad Left bureaucrats who regard debating these issues simply points or problems be avoided by manoeuvres and left' phrases Indeed, for the Stalinist leaders of the Broad Left, with their eyes fixed the prospect of full-time officials jobs in the trade unions, the students and Intane student teachers is if anything an embarassment as they seek ents to avoid dis theing the tell leaders, whose policies are the mainstay of the government's cuts programme. The result was that as the wave ot occupations becan to despite continued opposition from Broad Left were even- tually forced and give step nominal support to the students to regain control of the movement.

THREE WEEKS

Only in this way were the Broad Left then able in three short weeks to defuse and call off the occupations to the audible sighs of relief of the trade union bureau- PHILiPPA FAWCETI crats in particular in teaching and plea for "unity" the public sector. Broad students' calling on students to "put behind But now, relying on memories being short, the Broad US the and disappoint- alvisions ments of last term" Left present a different version of - hoping in this way to silence any questioning these events. They claim that the occupation of the NUS leadership. Sut the only way to go beyono was hampered by excessive number of "action com- these divisions and disaboointment • is to take up a sharp "coordinating com- struggle in mittees* and every college against the Broad Left mittees". whose treachery left the student

COVERED UP

teachers isolated. replaced by a must They be Yet the Broad Left in this way leadership willing to programme of local and national cover up the fact that these com- action which can link students in mittees developed precisely because joint struggles with public service the

NUS

bureaucracy gave no

SPOTLIGHT

ON

REFORMISM

fight to stop the cuts. the local action of militant

MILI

in pace with costs as assessed by The article goes on: focus was needed to pull together the disparate activities of the term account books, detailed plans, lists up to that time. One day of activity of sufficient magnitude was needed of suppliers and creditors of local authorities must be opened to their positive at the end of term, but this et for fine a villalition the social service supply industries and The reason one big day of education Ducate facilities, with their integration into Ine stale system. Manchester Conference of the NUS tor he imple the Special Congress of the TUC on strikes and occupations with a clear call on the local labour movement leaders, who defied the conference to call a separate NUS demonstra- 0I tion the day before! "defend education and

SUBSTANTIAL

two contingents together The would VALGO and CPSA (Civil Servants).

substantial the turn-out but June Journal article ignores 15th march, and simply stresses the "lack ‚of support" for the

TUC

lobby from Colleges of Education!

MOON

COL

aLL! The "official" June 15th NUS national demanstration.

Student teachers on the May 26th Day of Action against unemployment.

JOINT FIGHT

AGAINST

SACKINGS

Lanchester Students Coventry, Polytechnic, have begun a fight against threaten- staff redundancies which ed in might mean a reduction staff of 65 over the next four - while the number of years remain students is to unchanged. The following motion was passed at a Students' Union General Meeting last week. ....2. This union notes: The plans of Coventry's Director of Education and Warwickshire's Chief Education Officer to cut the academic staffing establishment by 65 in order to increase the student: staff ratio to 10:1. This Union recognises: 1) That the right to work must be defended and therefore no jobs must be lost through natural wastage, early retirement or redun- dancy. That any increase in student: staff ratio inevitably reduced the standard of edication. 3) In the light of these plans for staff cuts the Polytechnic it i obvious that the proposed merger with Canley can only mean more since it has already redundancies been stated that Canley has surplus

LPSU

staff and these the opposed the circumstances merger This Union therefore: Calls for the Executive to organ- of all staff and meeting ise 4 students within fourteen days and Commit- seek the lomt Union tee's support in arranging this meet- ing. The joint meeting should set up a committee to collect intormation regarding the finances and plans of Warwickshire and Coventry

LEAS

and the time spent on academic staff. The com- work by mittee should consist Joint Union Committee and rank- and-file members of trade unions members in the Povtechnic elected from the joint meeting.

called for by the NATFHE branch the Polytechnic,

LPSU

would OI support it.

CONFIDENTIAL

REPORT

The redundancy threat has come confidential from report Coventry's Director of Education to the Poly Board of Governors (see Socialist Press 44).

At a meeting of the Polytechnic Joint Education Committee proposal to make the report public was rejected. Committee Chairman, Labour Councillor Harry Caplan, wanted the report discussed privately, while another Labour Councillor said it "a sensitive matter concerning was individuals and their careers.

It is precisely for this reason that the report pubic H84e immediately.

INDUSTRIAL NEWS

JAGS SHORT TIME THREAT

Page 10 At a meeting of print employers and trade unions in London on October 12th, the policy of drawing in trade union leaders do the employers' dirty work came out extremely clearly. The Joint Standing Committee for National Newspapers, a kind of joint union-management 'participa- committee, produced propos- of on the introduction new machinery into the printing indus- try that wil decimate the work- force.

PLATITUDES

After the usual platitudes about the "no compulsory redundancy, produced statement by the Standing Committee goes on to say that the savings made through the introduction of new technology "..used to protect the should be, viability of titles and in doing so the interests of employees affected these changes' - so bringing in the so-called "joint interests" of emphe errocedure kor for introducing procedure new machinery will be as follows: "Companies duce technology and methods will first have to put forward their in with

JSC

plans accordance guidelines giving detailed infor- mation about economic prospects, company plans, the kind of new proposed and the impli- technology cations for the quality of and for employees of the proposals. These plans will then be issued "in house" for discussions at that level. On adoption of these 1G V111 mendations, joint union manace. ment house committees would be set up as soon as possible to discuss and reach agreement on manpower issues including the introduction of new technology, to carry through

JSC

policies on voluntary redundancy, pensions and decasual- isation, to develop policies and to provide a regular forum for dealing

NATIONAL

Union of

THE

Journalists has issued a one month strike due to expire on October 28th, to the management of the sun Newspaper, in pursuit oi a closed shop agreement. At present, the NUJ Chapel has 100% membership at the Sun and has voted overwhelmingly in both London and Manchester to protect this strength by strike action necessary.

PROVOCATIONS

Meanwhile the Lancashire Evening Post at Preston,

55 NUJ

journalists hare taken official strike action after a 48-1 Chapel vote to resist a series of provocations by In this fight, they confront the "union" beloved by the the of employers haunte Journalists members turned out to put in ten and eleven bour days in an effort to break the strike and ensure publication.

These for trade union- struggles

"PARTICIPATING' IN

PRINT SACKINGS

with problems which arise.

representatives present indicated their of the awareness critical state of the industry of the nation's whole in the wake present economic difficulties.

THROW OUT

workers in the print must fight to throw out this system and fight for the independent interests of printworkers from their employ- ers by rejecting all redundancies, voluntary or compulsory. the wishes. to bring technology then it new not be at the expense of the must jobs of printworkers and an overall lengthening of the dole queues.

UwU

NUJ FIGHTS

SCAB "UNION'

ism in newspapers are essential in this period of intense efforts towards rationalisation and redun- dancies by the employers the industry. They have to be fought against a background of conscious of and ballage hypocritical hysteria management "infringements" about and "dangers" "press to so-called freedom". These struggles show current that journalists increasingly are that such "freedom' provided only at the of expense job security living standards.

COMMON

In the coming struggles against sackings in the print industry this developed awareness must be linked firmly in common struggles side-by- side with the NGA, SOGAT, and other seeking print unions in defence of all jobs and working conditions. PHOTO: Chris Davies. Revom Callaghan

APEX LEADERS

PLEAD WITH

All available work in the print industry must be shared among the whole workforce on full pay.

CALLAGHAN

OPEN THE BOOKS

If the employers claim they cannot afford such a policy, then A very important struggle their books must be opened to for trade union recognition is elected trade union committees.

currently being fought by over This will prove the case for the at Grun- 200 Asian workers nationalisation of genuinely bank- firms which сал in turn wick Film Processing in

TUDE

provide the basis for a programme Willesden, North London. useful public whether The strike, now in its 9th week, cheap publications the began on August 23rd, when the education system or other forms of workers walked out in protest at- impeded by and pittle notinaly management's refusal to recognise impeded the print employers' their right to join a union - APEX.

thirst for profit. The workers are also protesting and work conditions: against pay £25 for a 35-hour week, £28 for a 40-hour week; obligatory overtime; holidays allowed in none permitted during the summer!

FERVOUR

The management of the firm which also operates under the names of "Cooper and Pearson" 'Bonnspool" "Trucolour" have demonstrated consistently their anti-working fervour Cass they smashed attempts since to factories organise their

OYET

ten This time the management are pulling out all the stops, and there been some violence on the picket lines. Indeed, there concrete evidence that management are working in tandem with police at Willesden Green station - not surprising, really, given that one of formerly employed by the police.

On Ist September the strike was made official and since then the strikers have received considerable support.

MARCH

For example, over 400 workers marched in support of the strike on 10th September, workers A Visual Display Terminal, part of the new technology with which Can te confidently claim that their "black- the print employers seek to ing" campaign has been 80% phase out thousands of jobs.

effective. Verbal support has been forth- coming from Roy Grantham (Gen eral Secretary of APEX); local MPs Leyland management have "gave 'because the companv actions been forced to make full pay- a platform for troublemakers."!

But an indication of who are the ment to workers at Jaguar's real "troublemakers" wallic factory Browns Lane in Saturday's Coventry Evening Tele- Coventry for most of the time grapn where it was announced that Leyland are now considering impos- lost during their recent sit-in ing short working the struggles against lay-offs.

Browns Lane plant, in a new bid The experience of this victory, to isolate the paintshop workers.

secured united and militant Leyland point out that action of the workforce, must result of the paintshop overtime further strengthen the resistance of ban — in force since Julv there paintshop workers at the factory, are noW more than 1,800 half who continue to impose an over- painted bodies stockpiled in the ban against time plant.

VIOLESI

company silence on plans to move but sooner than concede the paint operations out of the factory.

demand for an enquiry into their the clear demonstration of Yet Jaguar management would the militancy of the workforce has prefer to hold out, and put the cost scared the union leadership within of this onto the backs of the rest of the factory the workforce. One

T&GWU

senior steward There are clear indications that objected to management actions such moves would be fought. If the not on the grounds of his members' to attempt company proceed to to secure employment, but impose short-time, then a repeat of SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 20th October 1976 Grantham Grunwick Strike: Laurie Pavitt and Reg Freeson; Brent Trades Council and the Greater London Association of Trades Councils. And yet the strike continues. One reason for this is that the workers anger has been channelled into purely parliamentary protest by local APEX bureaucrats

PROTEST

Thus when the pickets were molested by police, APEX decided to send a letter of protest to Robert Mark! Granthat called on Albert Booer, start October, the cober on wore omar hea set up a Court of Inquiry. to Downing St. - only to present a petition to James Callaghan!

We say that such protests are entirely inadequate - what possible will from workers gain

CONNORE

men who are busily attacking their standards of living and livelihoods?

Only by direct working class antony relying nand offices! relying of such traitors as Booth and Callaghan.

BLACK

APEX must call for a nation- wide "black" of Grunwick goods, and boycott all chemists who deal with them. must draw in the active They support of other unions - especial- ly postal workers - to ensure that absolutely no deliveries are made at the plant. The strike committee should set their own defence squad up protect themsleves from the joint attacks of management and police.

Concrete steps such as these are the only way to ensure victory.

Messages of support and donations to: Mahmood Ahmad, Brent Trades and Labour Hall, 375, High Rd., Willesden, London NW10. the successful tactic of sit-in strike with the must take place but twin demands of full pay for work- ing the reduced hours, and that the company open up full at once orders, information on stocks, component supplies, production schedules, lines of credit and future of plans to an elected committee trade unionists. from both the paintshop and the remainder of the plant. this In way: wages can be defended and unity with the paint- shop workers established. and Jaguar workers can begin to learn the inner workings of their section of Leyland as a part of the motor industry as a whole. way can alternative the vicious Ryder to speed-up plan be drawn up in the interests of the car and component workers and the working class as a whole.

SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 20th October 1976

CUTS...

The decision by the nation- al leadership of NALGO, the largest white collar union in the public sector, to declare official strike by its any members in support of the November 17th Day of Action the cuts in against public spending is a concession to the militant moves of workers and an avoidance of a strike call. For while NUPE, NALGO and other unions and staff associations, have declared official support for the Day of Action and its lobby of Parliament, only the Civil Servants

CPSA,

has called strike action for that day, and that only in the most half-hearted way.

TRAINS

So as they trumpet their ambitious plans and lay out thousands of pounds of funds booking prestige trains to bring members to London on the 17th, the union leaders are dodging the key move needed to produce a far bigger than thirty impact lobbies of Parliament - a complete the one-day stoppage public sector and the social services.

This, of course, would embarass the Labour government on the one hand, and Jones, Scanlon and other TUC leaders (who are completely in support of the spending cuts) on the other. the November 17th Instead events stand in danger of becoming harmless jamboree of protest, conducted under the eve of the Following the outburst at the Ford Dagenham factory three weeks ago management have moved in and sacked four accuse or boike ringleader y workers who Sixteen more are subject to "investigation'. In going for victimisation, Ford want to discipline the whole work- force in preparation for sharpening trade war between motor manufac- turers both nationally nationally. have to fight for markets They conditions under of severe econ- omic crisis with interest rates of 15%, car hire purchase at 17% and the standard living falling, making a slump in the car industry a virtual inevitability.

"RIOT"

Standing riot, which look the form of lted behind so-called sacking of the management canteen, was the pressures of Ford's drive for speed-up the new on model Cortina and the frustration of the working class as a whole.

Real wages plunge downwards, unemployment reaches 1½½ million and the social services are cut to ribbons. Under these conditions, the sacking of four workers singled out Is a heavy blow at Ford workers and strengthens the hand of

STRENGTH

There doubt that the Is no shown in the strength struggle lay-orts could haver defended these workers. But such a defence would have required a clear and determined leadership.

The present leadership have just allowed wage claim to be reducer to dife, hu their neontiatoe

STRIKE ON NOV 17!

But it is not too late to take up the fight at local level through trade union branches and Trades Councils for stoppages on that day.

Only if a firm base of resistance to the cuts at local level is built can the ground made ready for be wide-sweeping united struggle of all social service and public sector demand for government spending to be not cut, increased step-by-step with • lE inflation, assessed by trade union committees - a sliding scale of spending.

CUTS...

One organisation which has scarcely flinched as substantial struggles have erupted out on either side of it during the last five months has been the National Coordinating Com- mittee Cuts the Against in

NHS (NCC).

While strikes, occupations, demonstrations and pickets have broken out in many areas of the health service and particularly London, the NCC has held firm to its May decision not to meet again ensuring it unti October thus could be nothing but an interested

FORD

VICTIMISATIONS

T&GWU

National Official, Moss Evans. And they settled the lay off Warmers ace tie laid pos ther workers after The response spa%. body plant workers to the sacking of the four was a strike by 70 body assembly workers in their defence.

manoeuvre now used by both the Stalinists and the right wing throughout the motor industry was then brought into play and a mass meeting was called of the whole body plant and the strikers were sent back to work.

DEVELOPMENT

This struggle has raised the question of leadership sharply ront of Ford workers. There is a beginning development with the shop stewards movement. A statement signed by six of them demands complete rejection of the government pay policy. It then calls for discussions: "throughout the Ford workforce to draw up a list of demands that can really defend Ford workers" wages and conditions. We ourselves that claim Be here should include: 1. A 20% wage increase. 2. A cost of living compensation starting immediately on the expiring of the last agreement, so that for every percentage rise prices, wares keep automaticany pact: The thirty five hour week."

Such approach begins to provide a way out of the blind alley of disorganised protests.

It shows the way forward in the development of a programme which can unite Ford workers against the attacks of both employers and the government and enable the building of a leadership which will fight for

INDUSTRIAL NEWS

NCC MEETS AGAIN

bystander in the struggle to stop This was much the case that when the NCC leadership decided to convene a further meeting, the letter sent out felt it necessary to assure the reader that: "The

NCC

and 1s . stul alive functioning after a long summer recess"!

RESULT

For those militants who might well ask had what been the practical result of this 'functioning', the letter went on: "We have not been entirely idle The whole facade of the 'guerilla strike action' against the cuts was sharply exposed at a public meeting last week in Hounslow Town Hall Unneces- showed that the cuts flow from the a demand for the full protection of the social services against inflation through a sliding scale of spending, rising in pace with increased costs.

Day of Action and lobby of that Fisher, to indicate NUPE members to Page

PUBTE

STOP

NEMPLCTVEN

CUTS

CAUSE

CASUALTIES

March against the cuts through Newcastle supported by N. Region TUC and Corfed during that time, having spent most of the NCC and would welcom around the organisa- chance to raise thi the these in Labour Party lobby, fullest possible But conterence and the circulating of our petition after five months without a meet about the resolution at last year's ing, to propose nothing other that Labour Party Conference.'

a conference a further six month While both these activities have a later can only be seen as completely value, and have been inadequate. supported by Socialist Press they provide a glittering record hardly

URGENT

of struggle in a period where the have begun cuts really to specifically, it is now urgent fo and where the possibility, home. the NCC to take a position of full given a lead, of strike action to stop scale coordinated support for the cuts has been so clearly shown.

NHS

section of takin reconvened chober e strike or other industrial action t met on Saturday 16th stop the cuts. consider where to go from now on.

On the positive side, he wever Sights were set a recalled NCC the

NCC

move circulate Conference, to be held in April of affiliated bodies calling ful next year support to the November 1: h Day Workers The Socialist League of Action and lobby of Parament has made a number of criticisms is a correct move.

• CUTS

NUPE'S FISHER

ON THE HOOK

answering this point (claiming that defeat in 1926 on Fisher's forbears could not do so in the presence in the TUC leadership of the time.

of reporters the right-wing from As more evidence of hostility to press!), eventually came out with the cuts autience the statement that he could not call became obvious, and while more one-day strike because, he were waiting to speak, the cicirman claimed, "the General Strike was a abruptly closed the meeting.

disaster'! But Fisher's open revelation that the 'guerilla strikes' from

ERUPTED

NUPE is issued in opposition to all-out At this strike action to point, the meeting prevent the cuts will not be lost on erupted into shouts of protest.

An meeting and rust be noted by older worker, who had been in the all NUPE militant General Strike jumped to his feet laid the blame for the and loudly

MORE INFORMATION

Please send me more information about the Socialist League. Name. .. Address . Post to WSL, 31, Dartmouth Part Hill London Mus 19D

Page 12 After 22 weeks on strike for equal pay, hundreds of Trico workers assembled out- side the factory gate last Monday morning and march- ed, victorious, back to work.

The settlement of the mara- thon strike, which was accepted unanimously_by of strikers the previous Friday, gives the women the same oper- and a flexi- men ational rate as bility bonus of £2.50. Members strike com- of the claiming that the mittee were company, which makes 90% of used by the British car industry, had conceded all their demands.

REPERCUSSIONS

The repercusssions of such a reason will. inevitably themselves

VICLOY

spread. Women up and down the the struggle country involved in favour! for equal The strengthened victory Trico's. maintained At the same time the standing decision of the reactionary so-called Equal Pay Tribunals will have been given in. greatly undermined by the actions of the Trico strikers. refused The women correctly to take their case to the Tribunal, But brief knowing that during their have little Tribunals history, demonstrated a bias National clearly towards the employers. No doubt it was for this very instruction STALINIST PURGES.......Cont'd from Page 1.

Hua toasts Nixon in Peking Communist Party, was conducted demonstrations the backs of the entirely behind Chinese and the Party Ching rank-and-file and of the even man's noose. Party levels the At hierarchy. So the Byzantine uncoiling of 'rehabilitated" the crisis in the Party acadershe throws into relief how spurious Railway are any claims that - during the ousted Cultural Revolution or since "rightist" - the mass of Chinese workers have had piace in atriang lne poncies or leadership of the Communist Party and state group,

SHANGHAI

At the weekend, in Shanghai - control of ousted "left wingers" the military around Mao's widow, anu demon- strations following the removal of Teng Beyond 'rightist" Vice-premier ambition, Hsiao-ping at the beginning of this housands filed the city centre in demonstrations Stalinist chiefs. to officially approved with obliterating

BOSLEI

LIOSCO

the faces of the four leading "leftists" - Chiang Ching (Mao's With the widow), Yao Wen-yuan, Chang Chun-chiao and Wang Hung-wen.

" Thi Party lot Group. described the were as weight At the rumours spread that same time they had headed a conspiracy for a coup d'etat and had planned to assassinate Hua Kuo-feng.

battles Other posters demanded that shop card theish and the leadership the "crush and hypocrisy. and

TRICO WOMEN

WIN EQUAL PAY

TEQUAL WORK AT HOME

LOVAL PAY AT WORK

WIEN WOMEN & MEN UNITE

SHE BOSSES GO. BERSERK

women demand

NITRIC EVA STRE

EQUAL PA)

that Trico management to black all referred the case to a move that would have the Tribunal - who found in their brought Trico using the women refused to accept would not agree to such a "black" Tribunal and the findings of the and that their strike the strikers vindicated completely long drawn out strike with much now that the company has finally the strikers. Clearly

OFFICIALS

go hand the fight to if the Trico strike is a ing class thanks due to

AUEW

'left' talkers and the right wing.

District Officials. and Their refusal to fight for an EC to union members on the CP political committee succeeded Chou En-lai as with the support of the Shanghai "gang" altu excommunication of Teng. Now leadership the 'leftists' them to the same abuse. And the Five already industrial and foreign trade.

WRONG

any sort of any section of Chinese Stalinism as the did last Rouge other express the interests of the masses cities, effigies appeared of Chiang peasants. "Leftists" is in any case suspended from a hang- They have, after all, presided over the same time came wide- spread rumours that Teng is to be

DOLLICI

and even that he. has already returned to feking.

Minister Wan Li, very recently equally suddenly, wah. back in office last week.

whatever the short-term future of Teng and his immediate seems clear the

THAT

political crisis was precipitated by agreement between Hua and the main body of the army and state ers party, forming a bloc to State and apparatuses, and to act violently against all opposition in the upper echelons of the Party.

doubt questions of careerism and personal animosities play a major part in struggles amongst China's

DEATH

death n-lai, within a few months of Chou Chu Teh finally Mao, the enormous and prestige of the generation that led the revolution has been effectively dissolved.

Mao's body may be preserved in a crystal sarcophagus, but the for possession political corpse are conducted in a log oi bureaucratic cynicism and to that in a sharp fall in demand. The Western European steel industry was last week reported to be once more verging on financial catastrophe, because the expected boom in demand for investment goods has failed to materialise.

industrial production over the last three months - to a level barely higher than it was in 1970 try to patch up this situation in windscreen wipers, closer alliance quickly its knees Labour 'lefts' and the TUC leaders EC the excuse that Brifish industrial capital.

this would demoralise This close relationship centres - has resulted in a on the cal for greater protection of British industry - taking shape and suffering by many of last week in the joint statement the struggle for equal Confederation of British Industry in hand with build a new, revol- leadership in the work- opposition to both Socialist Press has consistently pointed out that the policy of import controls advocated by so- called 'left-wing' Labour and trade leaders is union a diversion from the defence of jobs and wages - which the main British capitalist class.

premier We have always stressed that the question presided over the employer at home, and not to attempt to export unemployment with the aid of the army to other countries. he has double-crossed And now it is clear from this submitting and is joint declaration that the differ- between the right and the ence Year Plan has 'left' of the Labour leadership is been revised in line with Teng's policy with great stress on technology It is completely wrong to give critical support to AT French Pabloite paper week to the faction's policies living standards. At the This leaves purged. reactionary as those of Pinochet in Chile and the Shah Latest €8.20; PSF workers, Coventry, €2.30; All contributions should be sent to: new

WORKERS SOCIALIST

LEAGUE

Oxford Class on Revolution in South America October 31st at 7.30 at up Lake St. Community Centre cratic faction fights for voices of SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 20th October 1976 Joining up with the employers for trade war, TUC chiefs Jones, Bassnett and Scanlon WAGE CUTTING MUST BE FOUGHT.......Cont'd from Page 1.

not at all over whether the work- ing class should bear the burden but capitalist crisis simply about how that burden should be distributed among the working class internationally.

right, the reformist leaders of the workers movement are lining up behind their "own" employing class as it prepares for cut-throat trade war.

REFORMISM

There are no reformist measures that can soften the blow of this economic crisis. To defend jobs and wages it is more than to fight against all ever necessary forms •collaboration with the OI capitalist class Instead the leadership must be built to fight for a programme of that the which ensure deals working class can fight the conse- quences of the crisis in an inter- nationally united and independent manner:

*DOWN WITH

THE

4½% DEAL! For wage increases rising In pace wild Inmatio as asstased elected trade union commit- by tees - a sliding scale of wages.

*NO

REDUNDANCIES!

Occupy workplaces threatening Demand closure. work-sharing on full pay!

CUTS

SOCIAL

struggle in *NO in SERVICES! For a social service enemy is the budget rising in pace with costs, as assessed by elected committees a sliding scale of spending.

fight

OPEN

BOOKS! Where the

THE

employers threaten sackings closure, or claim they cannot afford demands, force them to their accounts trade open to to prove the for nationalisation without compensal.

£1000 SPECIAL FUND

A MEETING of the national membership on October I0th, a Special Fund of £1,000 was launched. The aim of this fund is to lay the basis for planned recruitment and expansion over the winter months, a period, as we point out in our lead article, when the deepening economic recession will drive workers more and more into struggle to defend their meeting, £370 was collected towards the target and pledges for a further £435 were received, making a total commitment of £805.

with a further £195 by the beginning of to raise December. All pledges or donations should be sent to: Socialist Press Special Fund 31, Dartmouth Park Hill, London NWS 1HR.

EGOO FUND

THE OCTOBER Monthly Fund now stands at £286.89, with only eleven days to go to the end of the month. It is important, therefore, that a big effort is made to raise the full £600 in that period.

contributions include: Hull, £16.50; Liverpool, £5.00; South London, £20.00; BLMC Cowley workers, £8.50; NHS workers, £41.30; £5.00; East London, £30.00; Banbury Central London £50.00; Nuneaton, £2.00; Leamington, £2.40; North London, £42.00; Aylesbury, £0.40 and Oxford General, £1 1.00.

Socialist Press Monthly Fund 31, Dartmouth Park Hill, London NW5 IHR.

LETTERS

from We welcome letters readers. Letters for publication should be kept as brief as possible and sent to: Socialist Press, 31, Dartmouth Park Hill, London NW5 1HR.