Socialist Press no. 49

ONLY STRIKE ACTION CAN STOP THE CUTS!

BENN

BACKS

HEALEY'S

BUDGET

Whatever the deflationary package to be announced today, one outcome can be ruled out in advance. There will be NO split in the Labour Cabinet over the terms of the IMF loan. 'Left' Energy Secretary Wedgewood Benn has unanimous Cabinet endorsement of Healey's measures.

Benn's position, of course , in chunk no way reflects the feelings of the working class. The workers' move- accept CeaN does either the necessity for the savage spending cuts to come, or the right of a Labour government to by carry them out. industry

FIGHT

growing The 80,000-strong November taxation 17th demonstration, weeK- end's

JUWCL

huge demonstration uation oi the and ee, sumerupatine-day strikes occupation Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Hos- pital in London all the show willingness of workers to fight the Healey-Callaghan policies.

Indeed workers are responding the eagerly even to most clearest if inadequate lead given the prospect of any kind of action

DEFENCE

They But "left' talkers like Benn jump into line at the crack of Callaghan's whip precisely because cuts. they have no intention of leading independent action of the abundantly any working class in defence of jobs alternative and wages or ment socialist policies. Indeed Benn himself is so far campaign Labour from fighting for socialist policies that he is even prepared to see a ment. part of his own department - a

SOCIALIST

PRESS *

workers looking fighting back in and living standards. aftermath of Labour Chancellor Healey's Telegraph shrewdly pointed out: find shouts of protest already participated in a as they the division lobbies of the state holding means Iul as a British Petroleum sold financial world E5D Hole in a bit to raise million cash to satisty the which will profits lust of the IMF! £2,000 million probable attack

IMF."

Healey on state-owned with the certainty of spending cuts throwing thousands of public sector workers onto the queues, dole cutting the purchasing of wages and a contin- 42% wage freeze policy, and you have the measure Ind SAVE JOBS VE of the package Benn has put his name to in the Budget. BREAK with the G.A.

BETRAYAL

SOCIAL

But if Benn represents the slepposedly left Labetra betrayal by

CONTRACT

leaders "Tribune' group of MPs are lining up their own brand of sell- have already begun to mouth phrases of verbal oppos- ition to further public spending But at the same time 1S of them Gearnone will take the fight even as far as to vote against the cuts in Parlia- let alone leading any against the and trade union move- In limiting their activity to talk

FORTNIGHTLY PAPER OF THE

WORKERS SOCIALIST LEAGUE

No 49 * December 15th 1976 * 10p

HOS

ITAL

NO GIFTS...JUST THE SACK!

served by such "lefts' protests from the by the militant rhetoric empty from TUC public such Drain

(NALGO)

as Fisher (NUPE) who rant on end- lessly about not accepting cuts while restricting their ship to protest marches and one- day stoppages while the cuts are forced through

RUTHLESS

beni this As next round of cuts the lefts' do nothing but weaken we say clearly approaches, and confuse the growing mass of if this attack is not confronted for a way then it will not be the last.

defence of jobs be another round, There WILl another and another And they actually assist Healey Labour leaders ruthlessly and Callaghan in their reactionary the requirements of deals with the IMF, as the Daily and international capital - forcing the working class to pay with its *They Healey-Callaghan) will jobs and living standards for the - so long world-wide crisis of profitability.

are not backed up by against the covernment in

SUICIDE

- quite help- of showing the Those who argue that all this 1s that the Cabinet "save the Labour has been tough over the measures government" or "keep the Tories the new out" make no sense as all.

accompany loan from the By-election results have already confirmed Workers' interests cannot be that the

BACKING FOR EGA FIGHT

ала

THE THINGS WE DO TO

"KEEP THE TORIES OUT"

manoeuvres and Healey-Callaghan course is one of political suicide for the Labour government. sector enters and

HAND-OUTS

And in Wallsall the defeat of member- Tribunite David Winnick showed that the Tribune Group's variety of spineless 'left' talk linked to in every reactionary import controls and private employers offers no real alternative workers. The "left' MPs who claim to that oppose these IMF dictated cuts must stand up and be counted in the lobbies in Parliament opposing Healey's measures. the as

DEMAND

carry British They must table a motion in the PLP for the removal of Healey Callaghan, rond tak and take up campaign the constituencies to drive out the entire cabinet of wage-cutters and dole queue millionaires. At the Saleme publicly demand that Fisher and Drain, along with the other dozen or more unions that backed the November 17th protest, call sus- tained national strike action to present halt the cuts.

/ TIGHT THE

Details of EGA support conference, see page 1

Page 2

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

SOUTH AFRICA

of the racist fleeing The response to neighbouring countries such as Swaziland and Botswana.

Vorster dictatorship in South It estimated that over 15 nOW Africa to the massive political 2,000 have escaped the indiscrim- upheavais which have shaken• inate arrests in this way.

the country since last June has been to unleash an increasing- leaders of the unrecognised black ly savage campaign of repres- sion against the black popula- leaders and members of the Uni- democratic right is versities wages commissions which ground under the heel of Vorster's do research for these unions, have in the last month been subjected to During the last month this cam- To be banned means to lose the shot dead and dozens wounded by ation, to be quoted in the press or of Guguletu and Nyanga after they to move to another area had attacked the homes of police Allied workers orders been arrested and detained in the by the South African subsidiary of Terrorism Act and Internal Security I aan baner Brid, here in

UNLIMITED ARREST

nition to the black unions and have These two laws allow the author- collaborated fully in the racist and arrest without reference to the courts and church without being obliged to reveal the isations have come under increasing nature of the charges or even that of South African 'disappeared' into custody over the last few weeks. Minister of 'Justice' Five NUSAS members, however, James Kruger has admitted to hold- were acquitted by the courts last ing about 150 under the Internal week of such charges as 'advocating Security Act; but black and civil rights organisations estimate that an egalitarian society. The fact that not even Vorster's the number is many hundreds more than this. own courts are always reliable instruments of his repression is one Ce accurate entirede is sacke hundreds black reason why his regime is increasing- since many the militants from all the major cities repressive which allow it to have been escaping arrest by laws

JAPAN

MEE

When the newly elected members of the Japanese Diet Tokyo (Parliament) meet on Christmas Day to select a new government it will be the first time for twenty-one years main capitalist party, Democrats, Liberal have not held an absolute majority Yet the main electoral gains have not gone to the parties based on the predominantly working class (the pro-Moscow Communist Party, and the divided Socialist Party) but to the 'centre' groups (the break-away "New Liberal Club', the right-wing

GOES

Social Democrats - formed after a split in the Socialist Party in 1960 'Clean Gar- - and the demagogic ' ernment Party' Koweito - which leaders of campaigned against the involvement of Liberal Democrat chiefs like Minister Tanaka in former the Lockheed bribes scandal.

SUPPORT

And, paradoxically, ballot-box support for both Tanaka himself, " Concurs ol who got six times as many votes as were necessary to be elected, and

TOT

former Justice Minister Inaba, in charge of pursuing the corrup- tion enouries remated strong.

of the This reflects the power built up by political arrangements the ruling class in the LDP factions Japanese Communist Party in the whole post-war period. mcc toe war, relyms on tue conser- ratism of the countryside and the Their abandonment of it points the Popular party machines of the cities front agree way 10 The recent elections also former the being ments of type openly prepared in italy and France a crucial test of the new reformist' policie. the Stalinists in the to tie the workers to

LOVELICUL

adership of the Japanese Com- capitalist policies in face of the operate in complete secrecy.

The growing fear and despera- tion of the racists which has lead to the wave of intensified curtent repression is to be seen not only in South Africa itself but also Vorster Namibia where hopes shortly to set up a fake 'indepen- dent' government. Such a has no puppet regime of defending hope itself against the independence waging a guerilla war in Namibia.

This explains South

WILY

African defence minister last week

SPAIN

Twenty Seventh Socialist Party

(PSOE),

being banned government in November, was permitted the first December. Permission was still witheld until the last moment in a vain effort to get the PSOE to register itself under the regime's new law governing the legalisation of political parties.

The semi-legality which the government has granted SOE ir the last few months is part of its effort to channel the oppos ition to Francoism Into what it sees as the safest organisaton.

YELLOW INTERNATIONAL

It regards the PSOE as just such an institution; safely allied as it is of group anti-working class opportunist Helmut 'socialist' leaders, such as Taraks SWAPO guerilla fighters gave a broad hint that South Africa was about to launch a new invasion Southern Angola wipe out the guerilla camps of the South West African Peoples Organ- isation (SWAPO). The growing repression in Southern Africa requires the strong- possible from the est response British labour movement - action the British firms which against refuse to recognise black trade unions; and action to force the Labour government to end its with Vorster's racist tyranny. James Schmidt, Callaghan and Mario Soares. regime thinks that it can tempt the PSOE out of its oppos- ition alliance with the Communist Party, which has far greater impor workers' offering to legalise the PSOE while keeping the Com- munist Party and all the parties to

EAGER

Filipe Gonzalez, reelected First Secretary party, gave strong hint that he would respond eagerly to this appeal to his oppor- tunism. Though the PSOE still claims to participation elections

GOOSE

until all political parties and unions and at t Gonzalez are released, announced to the Congress that the PSOE might 'have to' participate in the elections proposed for next year in order to gain control of the government and legalise the other parties itself. Gonzalez did not make this scandalously unprincipled state- had already been ment until he assured of a majority of Congress delegates for his right wing line of class collaboration and a negotiated pact with the fascist government at the expense of the other parties to the left of the PSOE.

NOT REJECTED

The position of the Communist Party is not reject such a deal but merely to demand that it itself party to That was the theme of the dramatic press confer- ence which CP General Secretary Santiago Carillo last week Hale under the nose of the regime If the CP 5as J0 legalised. said SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 15th December, 1976

MEXICO

In Mexico the transfer of presidential power from one member of the bureaucracy of Institutional Revolution- the Party (which has mono- ary polised political power for over 50 years) to another, is usually an orderly affair.

But not this time. When pIO- big Lopez busted Portillo took over from President wuls Ecneverna on Decembel IsC he inherited raging inflation, sus- pended currency dealings and a huge increase in foreign debts.

Mexico's social and economic crisis fundamental. Capitalist development has failed to solve a single one of the problems facing the masses of impoverished workers and peasants.

MULTI-STOREY

In the cities, glistening muiti- storey skyscrapers are surrounded by huge areas of the most impover- ished shanty-towns. In the countryside the land abused reform law is by large landowners 'sharing out property among their families. This system is presided over by the corrupt bureaucratic, and right wing Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). Echeverria attempted has to disguise his own role by indulging in "anti-imperialist" and populist rhetoric which he hoped would lift him into the Secretary Generalship of the United Nations. Last week, as he expected, he failed.

POWER

Echevveria's real power inside Mexico. To this end he implemented the redistribution of 100,000 hectares in the northern province of Sonora peasants. The hypocrisy of this act of 1975 he had sent his autumn trOODS from land they had occupied in the very same province. Carillo, then there would be a pol- itical crisis. This was not, however, (he was at pains to emphasise) threat. He never spoke a truer word: it was an offer to the fascists.

'Share with us, he said in effect, power will use all our political and we destroy indepen- power dent mobilisation of the working class." In fact the Communist Party have already shown leaders hundreds of times that this offer is their legal- conditional on isation.

MORE DIFFICULT

What they, probably some and sections of the fascist regime, fear is that continued illegality will make difficult for them to implement their collaboration with capitalism and Francoist regime. The demands which flow out of the situation Spain completely the reverse oi the crawi- Party and SO leaders. They are: subservience Communist *Boycott the referendum! *End by the class workers parties! No pact with the fascists! *For a general strike to force the abdication of the fascist regime!

*For a constituent assembly and a provisional government of workers" parties!

GREECE: 1 MILLION MARCH

SOCIALIST PRESS, Kednesday 15th Dece One million people flooded the streets of Athens on the 17th November, for the 3rd anniversary of the Polytechnic uprising in 1973. The huge demonstration, which was equalled in numbers only by that on the first anniversary, was a show of strength by the workers anu youn agalst loe mercasingly unpopular policies of the right wing Karamanlis government. The whole anniversary was three day activity organised by the National Union of Students, during winch tens of knousanas or yourn and workers visited the Polytechnic Athens, various The Karamanlis photograph exhibitions within the premises, film shows related to the heroic uprising against the Jullla. and the joined discussion

ALOUS

spontaneously Polytechnic all parties as The

THOSE

the the controversy the mạrch the American saries there the Embassy, this Karamanlis government banned it, a show of subservience Americans and a step forward in the taking away of all democratic with the overthrow of the junta. for controversy went on many days, with the NUS insisting that the march should be allowed, and backed in it by all the oppos- ition political leaders, while the government insisted that the march would undermine 'national unity and implying that it would use the police against the crowd if the ban was disregarded: Discussions in political organis- ations of the left, trade unions, the factories, and unveiles. raised high against the spurits government and contributed to the mass participation, creating conditions for a defiance of the ban, which would ridicule the strength of the government.

POLICE

The police force which massed its strength in Constitution Square, creating a human dam to the streets to the American Embassy, leading was numerically a drop the in On the morning of the 17th, however, the leaders of the two Greek Communist Parties publicly advised the NUS not to break the ban, thus saving the government from a political defeat at the hands вет, 1976

AGAINST KARAMANLIS

SPECIAL REPORT BY OUR ATHENS CORRESPONDENT

of the people. This assistance to the bourgeoisie from the two Crs and the Stalinist leadership of the NUS the of the heroic struggle against the junta, only the vanguard well! Tenna which fought this struggle of the Stalinist policies Upposing uprising in 1973, while they present themselves today as the champions of it. In 1973, pro-Moscow CP, the of following line dictators accomodation the through and even atter at every stage. This shown ground press, 350 after of the disguised and led as CIA Greek man came into the they the occupation. done in order downfall of junta leader loannidis, since Papadopoulos claimed ther had Americans. The pro-European Communist Party at that time, while having essentially the same line, did not publicly oppose the occupation but contain it, and so succeeded in holding the majority Co-ordinating of the Committee, which was formed on the colla of the occupation and lasted for three days, until the tanks went in on the night of the massacre, the 17th. The saving of the government, today, however, is not such an easy task for Stalinists given the the policies followed Karamanlis by and the strength of the workers The Karamanlis government, has arming nOW itself with all the legal structures it Will need for the smashing of the movement of the working class and peasantry, much more decisively than during 1975, as a result of the mass price increases of the present time and

ANTI-UNION

The anti-union law passed by the •government in May 1975 (which is more severe than the Tory anti-union law in Britain)

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

coupled with a law that greatle increases the the powers police the against citizens, and legalises any degree of police . harassment. important bill under discussion in parliament, which would allow the micrument, most hated institution in Greece, which has been used by all govern- ments from the 1920s on and has affected hundreds of thousands of especially after the civil Wal. The taking away one by one of implications of austerity policy in the intensification of the class struggle. The constituting This with

EEC

competition has already Greek WIls example being the enforced agricultural has olive oll, mass and line with Karamanlis the unity petty of the towns in opposition as much Papadopoulos early 1973, the junta. PASSOK teader by Papandreou | that there wil be

DAUPOULT

elections by end of 1977, be only the only for government today, trying to head strike movement and as to make that challenge sure no further proof of the Karamanlis given in was Tank attacks Polytechnic in 1973 ге 3 Greek police with armoured ca he called to celebrate the 2nd contradictory speeches O5X anniversary of his "democracy" in a ishat andelieves in serialisti saying big theatre of Athens, was attended and that <115m communism must be contained! an duuence unal was less than a million by a mere 997,000.

problem highlighted great They were all decent ladies and by the gentlemen with cheerful, well for the leaderships of the two CPs is dressed youth, surrounded by how to persuade the workers and police informers, some of whom peasants, and even more their own could be seen shouting and clapping members, that tightening our belts the street front and abolishing democratic rights to meeting, as they listened to the save an unpopulat government is representatives the two the only way forward. tendencies of the Party delivering

THE WORKERS

SOCIALIST LEAGUE

The Workers Socialist League is a Trotskyist organisation fighting to build a revolutionary leadership in the working class in opposition to the betrayals of both "left" and right wing Labour and trade union leaders and the Communist In the daily struggle to take the demands and principles of Trotsky's Transitional Programme into the trade unions; the WSL has been at the forefront of the fight for the sliding scaie of wages, - demands which at the 1975 T&GWU Conference were thi alternative to Jones' £6 pay plan and the wholesale acceptance of redundancies by the bureaucracy. In today's fight against the TUC's 42% pay cutting deal with Healey this demand for a sliding scale of wages (rising according to the rising cost of living as assessed by trade union essential basis of consistent opposition.

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

• policy has already won a big response with the one- day action against the closure of the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Hospital when 2,000 hospital workers in the area struck and 400 marched to lobby MPs against the cuts - In local disputes also, WSL comrades have tested and developed the demands of the Transitional Programme, putting forward in every case the only real opposition to the Stalinists and the right-wing. Our struggle "open the books" demand in the motor industry and against all forms of "workers' participation" have won mass responses unemployment, calling for unity of employed and unemployed through mobilise the trade union movement.

transitional demands, going beyond mere trade union militancy to pose In doing this our comrades have been forced also to lead struggles for trade union democracy against the bureaucratic manipulation of the Stalinists and right-wing.

But our struggle for the continuity of the principles of Trotskyism is in no way a task confined to Britain. It requires an attention and involve- 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 Iransitional Programme, there has been a consistent drive to deepen and enrich the movement's understanding of the history 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 WSL and join our fight in the labour movement.

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

LABOUR LEFTS MUST LAUNCH

OF CRYPTO TORIES

PRENTICE BITES THE DUST

Page 4

PURGE

many of "There are too these people who have infil- trem out! party already. Get trated this These words referred not to the blatant dominance of increasingly extreme right wingers and crypto- Tories within the bureaucratic ranks of the Labour leadership, but by Prime Minister were Callaghan in an attempt to further atmosphere of witch- stir up the hunt against left wingers within the Labour Party.

KNIGHTHOOD

His speech, delivered in Leeds, was publicised simultaneously with a similarly vicious attack on Labour militants, Sir Harold Wilson, by Knighthood volumes of his cringing services to DrItsa capilalisil. Wilson's speech, like of many the right the recent speeches Dy exposed almost in spite of wing, itself the moribund state of Con- stituency Parties in which the right wing holds sway. nothing Apparently easier "bed-sitter few than for PHOTO: Chris Davies, Report infiltrators" move and commandeer a CLP for their own purposes. the of workers living bed sitters has in massively increased as a result of Wilson-Callaghan the policies of cutting house-building and increas-

INDIVIDUALS

Wilson Appropriately, therefore, in seeking a weapon to attack these o-called "infiltrators" in indiro call for increase individual membership of the Labour Party Eric Heffer and Joan Lestor, for words a conscious turn to in other example, have tabled a resolution middle class layers more likely to next provide support for the right wing.

National Executive which deplores At the same time a turn to more "unsubstantiated and mysterical and hidebound bureaucratised allegations" but seeks only to layers within the Labour Party is Terred t coexistence indicated in Wilson's proposal that and right in the any delegate to a General Manage- party. have ment Committee appeared two on successive

MOAN

electoral registers - aiming to rule out new and young members who the most likely to mount a frenzied moan about serious challenge to the leadership.

hunt", Callaghan and Healey are all Yet while the right-wing, with set to launch a new package of the whole hearted support of the economic policies which will drive capitalist press Labove move lefts onto yet another nail into the coffin of the offensive, can while Labour's election only come up with the most puerile prospects, Tories wait delightedly in the the and spineless reply.

BENN V. MARX

According to press reports, "moderates" are Labour Party incensed speech on at a Thursday by Energy Secretary Wedgewood Benn, in which he allegedly defended Marxists in the Party. Repor The whole incident has of course blown up out of all propor- been tion to regenerate the fading 'leit image of Benn. "All that we require by way of political allegiance from party or paid officials is that

1 CHANC

PHOTO•

they should accept the policy and Party programme and thus commit themselves to Benn adrancing socialism through parlia- As the capitalist crisis rushes on, mentary democracy", he said.

knocking the ground from beneath Even by this wishy-washy the feet of the reformists, Benn's only the open right- standard not platform for "left' rhetoric becomes wing around Callaghan (who clearly more and more rickety. the Labout Clause whether or not he In this Party constitution setting the objec- preferring Callaghan next week on tive of not channel i undes opposes Labour

NEC

by voting to instead channel the 1710

NEB

confirm the appointment of private industry through the Bevan Militant group leader Andy and tax concessions) but aiso lefts" like Benn as Party youth officer is irrelevant.

himself who do nothing Benn's government's to halt the Labour speech shows rush towards Tory solutions to the gesture will only be play-acting for crisis, would be excluded from the a dwindling and bored audience in Labour Party. Chris Davies, Report

PHOTO:

Infiltrator: Healey wings, sharpening their own knives.

RIGHT WING

We say it is high time there was a serious witch-hunt in the Labour Party directed at those extreme right wingers who day drive exch home new attacks on the members they were elected to represent.

It is high time that "left' talkers such as Heffer and Lestor were put or do they

TOO CLICY.

for the right of Healey not and Callaghan to act in the name of th Labour Party while carrying out Tory policies? And what is the position of the centrists in the Militant group, at whom all this venom is supposedly directed?

SUPPORT

Far from fighting to drive out the right wing, they have advocated parliamentary support Callaghan-Healey in the policies name of "saving the Labour govern- ment". They have so far posed no the Labour tankleve bureaucrats. Are the manoeuvrers and talkers The political fate of Reg Prentice - extreme right wing Labour Minister for Overseas Development - is becoming increasingly clear. On December 2nd he resigned from the T&GWU panel of spon- sored MPs. And a week later his supporters were overwhelmingly control of the Newham NE Constit- Annual General Meeting. uency considerably Indeed the increased left-wing majority at the AGM showed the way the fight to oust Prentice has heightened aware- constituency, ness throughout the in which Labour Party membership result of has grOwn as the

SOCIALIST

prepared to pick up the gauntlet thrown down by the right-wing or will they join Heffer Tribunites and lestor in completely before any collapsing confrontation takes place?

CLASS RESISTENCE

The right wing attack is Militant aimed at the spineless but at the growing solid core of working class resistance now beginnine to find a reflectior inside the Labour " Party and chalienge the monopoly hold of the Callaghan clique. It is an attack flowing not from strength but from weakness.

Now is the time for principled Labour Party militants to campaign for socialist programme policies and for the removal of all MPs and representatives who refuse to fight for them. It is possible that in this fight some of the best forces 1n Party will be bureaucrat- Labour ically expelled for their stand - but better to take on such a tight than to tolerate Tory policies today in the vain hope of a 'left swing by the Callaghan leadership tomorrow.

struggle: The recalled AGM was itself the outcome of blatant moves by the Labour. Party bureaucracy to preserve Prentice and manoeuvre against the left wing majority - but Prentice has become such despised figure in the Labour move- ment that even this device could not save him. But the fact that an MP with an anti-union record like Prentice was allowed by Jones and the

T&GWU

leadership to remain on the Union panel of sponsored MPs until he chose to resign is an indication of thoroughgoing the rottenness within the leading ranks of both the Labour Party and the unions.

In this sense, the replacement of Wednesday ISth December, 1970 Infiltrator: Callaghan Heffer - seeks peaceful coexistence Prentice, which is the next step Newham, in must be seen as continuation of the challenge so far mounted to bureaucratic the reformist leaders. Prentice's successor must be candidate prepared to draw on the strengths that have emerged in the antiPrentice campaign, and take up throughout the abour Party and the trade union the the 1011

DISTRI

Callaghan-Healey leadership.

They, together with Prentice and allies in the Social his reactionary Democratic Alliance and the Mani- festo' Group must be driven out of the Labour Party and into the ranks of the party they really agree with - the Tories.

STUDENTS SLAM

BROAD LEFT, OCCUPY

NUS TRAVEL CRASH

SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 15th December, 1976

NCTONN

Students at Essex Univer- sity will this week stage a two- of the uni- day occupation versity in protest at the government's proposed fee increases. This token occupation, however, is seen as merely tne prcluce lo a full-scale occupation to be launched next term against the increases, and against all education cuts.

This which coupled to an explicit condemn- ation of the protest diversions of the Broad Left leadership in Essex and within the NUS nationally, was from passed despite opposition both Tories and the Broad Left.

PART OF CUTS

The heavily amended motion further pointed out that though these fee increases are so far aimed ation of the students leaves the specifically and self- little for supporțing students, they must also Executive be seen as part of the government's manoeuvie. feverish effort regain public •In policy of cutting expen- some of their lost credibility among diture. students, the Broad Left have had resolution adopted there- "Ine but to support the fore called for a sliding scale of

•LUN

occupation despite their initial punic expenditure as the ony way opposition to it. in which such cuts can successfully But this "left turn" must be seen be resisted, and this was coupled to for what it is. the decision to elect "open the It is not a demon- an stration of the Broad Left's willing- books" committee to mvestigat University's "the and ness lead struggles. the plans to it is an attempt to take proposals re education cuts.

Wollidly, control of the occupation in order The students' willingness to fight defuse it, to syphon off student was confirmed a week later when a militancy, and channel. into 600-strong Union meeting rejected "negotiations" and talks.

a Tory stratagem designed to call off the occupation. They lee they can support this occupation precisely because it is a Already there have since been signs that the Broad Left Union purely protest action lasting only for two days. Executive would dearly love to call off the action, but the determin- The real battles will therefore

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RADES COUNS

begin The Executive next term. have already instructed been draw up plans for a full-ecale occupi ation whether these plans will materialise remains to be seen.

The students at Essex have, like Middlesex Poly, Teeside and at Kent, indicated their readiness to tient: the Broad Leit have everywhere revealed that they are tota until lead such a fight. leadership Only principled carry this sauggle proaccessa on a clear programme can carry Such a programme must take as its minimal demands: 1) the rejection of all proposed fee increases; 2) the reduction of the present level of overseas fees to the 1976-7 level of home student fees.

200 JOBS LOST

On the eve of the Blackpool Conference the National Union of Students the policies of the Communist Party and left reformist leadership have been starkly exposed by the NUS's liquidation the Travel Service and the printing Uniprint companies Photomech. The collapse occurred only weeks after the Broad Left control- led Executive had endorsed the of 37 workers in sakin Travel and in defiance o to order to 'save' decision of the Easter conference that no redundancies should be something in the permitted. NOw of 200 workers have lost region their jobs. The Broad Left blame the collapse of Travel on the economic and 'over-optimistic' expansion begun in 1973 The sol- ution they put forward, the setting up of Local Student Travel Bureaux is Iemarkable iden- bolt in Delng tical to the policy of the Tories failing to and in start from the defence of the jobs of the sacked workers.

BLAMING WORKERS

Sy at ibe sarce calling fo: the setting "E Of LSTB's as a replace- ment, the Broad Left are in practice blaming the workers. Wtat is clearly shown by the ¿quitation oi fraudulent police tize Broad

NO IFS, NO BUTS.

NO TO

EDUCATION CUTS

Students ready to fight: Broad Left ready to divert the struggle But the programme must also include a series of broader demands against the cuts - for a sliding scale of public expenditure and a sliding scale of grants in oract to aerena educational services and students' living standards against the ravages of inflation

COMMITTEES

the In both cases, amounts needed to match inflation must be determined by elected committees of trade unionists and students.

Only by fighting such will programme reactionary policies of this Labour govern- ment be defeated. Left of operating commercial com- panies in order to create 'Union consciousness. This argument is blown sky-high when the Union, which is supposed to be campaigning unem- against ployment, is itself sacking workers.

NON-UNION

Of the 200 workers made redun- dant most are women and very few are even unions. In fact the of Staff Associations as existence part of the contract of employment of the firms seriously militated. against recruitment into the unions.

The printing firm's difficulties were therefore compounded by the NGA's correct policy not to accept work for printing unless prepared by union members.

LSTB

The solution agreed between the Broad Left and the Tories in reality means the setting of more efficient (i.e. up more exploitative) alternative companies financed by local students unions.

Thus the Broad Left capitulates to the Tory threat to push for dis afffiliation of colleges from NUS if the Services are not maintained The right-wing wants to see NUS converted into purety service organisation rather than campaigning body. It is in fact entirely wrong for IL'S to run any private companies.

All these services should be zorera.

ment financed. Endsleigh This firm Insurance the Broad Left are currently congratulating for having made record profits.

The abrious question to be Page 5 NUS Broad Left President Clarke asked is where have these profits come from? Instead of demanding the immediate nationalisation of all the workers Service companies under ore Brter mean con Broad Left can management, only seatch for getting concessions from capital.

ism Likewise theit strategy education spending cuts is to exer pressure on the Labour governmen for a more 'sensible' policy.

This even goes as far as seeing the appointment of right wing Education Minister Shirley Williams as being a hopeful sign because of her 'concern for education'.

Williams first move as Education Minister the was to announce proposed closure of 30 teacher training colleges. In the NUS the effects of the Broad Left's strategy are clear to The right-wing and the Tories set. gain in influence in direct relation- ship leadership's inability to Ine and failure to find a way forward.

SAVED

The jobs and services offered by NUS Travelle saved. The accounts Uniprint and Photo- mech must of these firms must be opened to a joint elected committee of students and workers, independent of the bureaucracy On this basis, the campaign fo nationalisation can be fought anc extended through uniting with all transport unions in defence of job: and for a system of useful publi works to create a fully integrated nationalised transport system. Clearly for students, the centra!

requirement in fighting fo: 5z policy is tbe place: politically bureau by a leaders; isel students against the artacks being setie det behalf of apitalism

The fight to build a revol- youth ationary movement takes under today place conditions of unprecedented irisis on a world scale for the apitalist system. As the underlying tendency of the world capitalist economy the tendency for the rate of profit to asserts itself more and more strongly, the ruling class one in boom period, in a scale match une created the ruling class in every 110W public pending, reduction wage of the speed-up and ationalisation in and the attacks, the mined apart only undefeated but in of lumber most in mportantly of the working the Stalinists, seek tormists and the their struggle oppressed off shackles of ind throw There is no limit to the betrayals which ind defeats into stalinists and reformists are repared to lead the working class, they the are, recessity to defend capitalism TiSiS. The question of leadership herefore posed as the number facing the working question Class and oppressed masses inter- pationally. The crisis of capitalism cannot resolved in the interests of the working class unless the crisis of yorking class leadership is itself first resolved. this situation the role of In class youth onsiderable importance. Whether soldiers iney be conscript guerilla fighters in portugal, Limbabwe, school students Soweto or young workers in Madrid Barcelona, young workers the world over have demonstrated their not to accept the determination urden of the capitalist crisis.

It is, of course, no accident that workers should figure Forking class. Many ought for and won by the working Class since the Second War, particularly in such areas as health full und education, employment and high wages, have been of partic- "lar benefit to young workers.

Now as the crisis accelerates into dump, galls viciously attacked. Cuts in public spending resulting falling standards of health and education, zundreds of thousands of school- cavers face the dole each summer ind those lucky enough to find jobs ace government wage-cutting the inforced by trade union pureaucracy. But youth have both the enthusiasm and the ability to fight jack.

PAST DEFEATS

pet defeats response workers the past defeats workers the 1930's and for

HOVENCE

formation of an opportunist cadership, reared the boom ponditions of the '50s and '60s, and determined head off Aruggles by sections of the porking class now that the boom collapsed, the way is open for Porting class youth to play a fight for pentral tole in the principled leadership. As Trotsky wrote in the Trans- Programme: morement is revitalised by of respon- who are tree the past. The Fourth creational pays particular atten- to the young generation of the toletariat. ( Al or Its Doncies scrive with belief in inspire the youth strength and in the future.

the fresh and enthusiasm ensite spirit of the youth can antee the preliminary successes the struggle: only these successes retura the elements of the older generation to the road of revolution." Young thus be workers can powerful lever against the bureau- cracv in the strueges of the work- ing class. . leaders quite Trade

UNCH

deliberately concentrate their chief lavers of the attention on the top class and both working ignore women and young needs and demands are unable to find in opportunist Expresson which by their very nature are unable to represent the of

TONI

SECON

society.

MOVEMENT

revolutionary youth ment must therefore be forged in these leaders. Today, when capitalism can no grant reforms, struggles to defend the interests of revol- workers must part of a utionary programme and fought for by a revolutionary leadership.

This fight for revolutionary be left leadership cannot under distant aim when youth the of face prospect capitalism continual economic dependence on the dole or a dead-end the family, Only by directing young workers the mass organisations of the into class, by putting demanus on the trade unions and fighting for exposed and an alternative leader- ship formed.

YOUTH PROGAMME

Youth at Work. The struggle of young workers must deal with capitalism's flagrant disregard their physical for and cultural development. Only a strong organisation amongst youth in the can prevent abuses trade unions are used where young people sweated labour. cheap All barriers which prevent young from workers and apprentices playing a leading role in the organ- isation of the working class must be removed. This includes the removal of the age on young workers taking out a steward's card.

Youth commissions at all levels be trades unions must ot the imposed bureaucracy who imposebe forced to fight for the specific demands of youth.

of youth Factory committees should function with delegates on shop stewards committees.

Similarly, young workers' repres entatives must be brought on of the committees trades councils to fight for the interests of all sections and unemployed.

TRADE UNION CONTROL

control over the use young labour must be under the direction of trade union commit- safeguard the youth by preventing practices like work, shift work or Alongside training facilities and compulsory opportunities for general study must be raised, the cost of this to be borne by the bosses. All supervision of training must The be under workers control. struggle to extend training facilities and into industry directly connects with the issue of unemployment. Youth have a right to economic independence from the family.

We demand that apprentices be paid 75% of the adult. rate and that unskilled youth the same as adult workers doing the Wants the application of the same work principle of equal pay for equal work - but under workers control.

This is particularly relevant for girls, the struggle for equal as 1s training and equal apprenticeship opportunities. development of a struggle for control over wages leads on to the fight for a sliding scale of wages of pegged to an index prices worked out by trade union commit- wages level with the rate of inflation. Youth on the Dole. The main problem facing youth today Over 200,000 school-leavers in the summer of 1976 swelled the dole queues and six months later there were still 140,000 school-leavers without jobs. With Treasury officials fore- casting (in private) a 1977 level of unemployment of 1.8 million, the continue to for the right to The work the very basis - of capitalism. of capitalism satisty need is and machinery lying idle while living standards It throw open the doors the unions to youth Trade should be union reduced for As long as remain their energy be left the and can oppose 'natural through wastage' and down the if they can of overall capable the Young the banner and dancies. All and redun- dancv full pay among the demand the must be finances firm. Where the factory to you who are but of rook it on r Given the high of work it is not merely the defence of existing jobs but the creation of new ones which is posed: part of this programme must include demands for the main- and the tenance recruitment OI extension of training by forcing the reopening of shut down factories to be used as training facilities.

youth Moves to employ on all sorts of subsistence wages in work' 'community in order to crumbling social the

IRATHI

and the more recent job seryices, swap scheme must be answered by a campaign for the commencement of large scale public works.

Trade Union committees in each area must draw up plans for useful public works to provide employ- ment at trade union rates. This plan under must ment from top to bottom. Black Youth. Britain face Black youth particularly acute problems. Denied proper education or SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 15th December, 1976 Triumphant liberation forces enter Saigon in April 1975

THE WAY

FOR

We reprint below the main body of the Resolution on Youth Work a December 4th and 5th. The other resolutions from the Conference will berp Year.

PERATION

"SMAS H

NITE

•their inability to training, they have been forced into Frustrated by defend their standard of living in low paid, unskilled jobs.

As the crisis deepens, more and the face of manoeuvres by the trade sections of the more black youth are forced onto umon balcauciacy, the dole. In parts of London over working class fell prey throughout the summer to the racialist hysteria 25% of black youth are whipped up by the capitalist press.

ployed. a hysteria exploited by fascist and Neglected by the leaders of the organised labour movement, black right-wing groups youth remain largely at the idea that one immigrans unorganised that the and leaderless, subjected to racial- immigrant which this year resulted in population is responsible for the ism the murder of three Asian youths crisis. In this situation large numbers at the hands of racialists; and police harassment which led to the battles of black youth, both Asian and West Indian, took to the streets in between black youth and police a the Notting Hill Carnival as a direc numerous demonstrations and in areas began to organise the result of police some massive defence of their communities provocation.

FORWARD

OUTH

opted at the First Annual Conference of the Workers Socialist League on blished in our theoretical supplement Trotskyism Today starting in the New TO against racist attack and police harassment. It is precisely in such a situation the fascists where attack racial minorities today, attempting split and divide the working class so that they can attack all socialists and trade unionists tomorrow, that demand workers self defence becomes central. Black youth have a key role to the fight to mobilise the pay working class in the formation of squads against the fascists, defence while the movement itself has a responsibility to the defence of any section of the labour singled out for attack by the forces of reaction.

étudiants, enseignants, travailleurs, solidaires Youth, students and workers on a joint demonstration through Paris in May June, 1968

RACIA

LISM

But the fight for workers self defence must go hand in hand with the fight against the anti-working class policies of the Labour govern- ment and the collaboration which by holding back the struggles of the working class leads to the kind of frustration which can result in a racialist une hysteria of the capitalist press.

means youth be brought into the organ- ised labour movement to take up a for the organisation fight not only of workers' self defence but also to leaders of the trade unions lead a fight against the Labour government's attacks on the working class. forced to stay on at school in increasing numbers But with the cut back in state expenditure and an increasing number of school students, conditions and standards of. education decline. While the raising of the school leaving age 16 should be to defended, it-must be turned into a gain for the working class. The the school leaving age raising of must be linked to the fight to and the detend state Improve by of system means

LAE

opening the books of the LEAs and of all education supply firms to elected trade union committees, principally the teachers students unions.

STATE SPENDING

From the information revealed, is possible for an argue increased injection of state expen- diture. This will compensate for the cuts already implemented as well as offsetting the effects of inflation by the operation of a sliding scale of public expenditure. Control over On the other hand it will only be state educational expenditure will possible to bring black youth into prepare the path for the future the labour movement on the basis management by the working class of a programme which will appeal of state education. to these youth because they see in Defend the raising of the school it a way of securing united action leaving with grants to are to to overcome the problems that they school students over the age of 15, face. Such programme must based on a sliding scale tied to a include: working class cost of living index *The recruitment of black youth ana supervista _Dy workers repres alongside white youth, employed entatives - not a means test.

and unemployed, into the trade Down with privilege! Abolish unions. private schools and use their * The setting by trades facilities within a fully integrated coustils of youth unemployment comprehensive state education sub-committees where black youth system under the management of can fight alongside white youth the working class. around such demands as the draw- Schools must be approached of useful public oi a plan through the National Union of works which the government must School Students, recognised by the be forced to finance under trade

NUS,

which all League members union control. and contacts who are eligible must *Trade union enquiries to inves- join to campaign to make the tigate black the union a mass organisation enabling youth by the police and law courts.

a broader layer of youth to be *Workers' defence squads, reached than otherwise possible.

organised by the labour movement The present Stalinist leadership, the to protect black community which unable realise the from police and fascist harassment.

potential of the union and unable Despite the political differences to organise adequately its day to Marxists and the existing between day challenged. running, must be various 'Black Groups', the right of This can only be done by building black youth to organise in such areas with large memberships and a must nevertheless be leadership capable of correct defended from the harassment and challenging the existing Stalinist attacks of the police and extreme leaders. right wing. When trade union necessary, Students. of organised protection premises and meetings must be fought for.

and (excluding technical Youth and Leisure. worsening With the of the working economic crisis, and inflation now once more on the increase, working alism lessens class youth find themselves more and more limited in the range of mean that leisure activities they can pursue.

entertainments The maustry. working class. like all capitalist industry, is run for The and college inflationary crisis has profit. The of entertainment put many forms late 60s the high point out of the reach of young workers of any by students same time youth living on large council estates on the outskirts of provincial cities, class society all that remains by way of leisure activity is the local youth club. The slightest trouble, nowever, working class. frequently leads to youth being barred from these clubs. as a revolutionary lent and

POLICE

the support to 'student power the in (The Consequently they are forced Pabloites, out onto the streets where they fall The preativeness of you prey the patrols. for strategy 'red youth given no chance because the facilities do not exist to develop this. like the class, programme for youth should fronted by include the following demands: intent *Nationalisation of the Condus enter- expenditure, tainments industry compensation and under workers' management. *Youth facilities, including youth clubs, schools and playing The fact that capitalism has local of owned by always restricted must be placed under trade union working class youth to education, control and made freely available to especially higher and technical all youth. education, is nothing new.

*Trade union committees must The ruling class have always draw for plans attempted to ensure that culture provision of facilities for all young and science remain their exclusive which people govern- preserve. ment must be compelled to finance.

in the throes of the

NOW,

Not only will this result in assist- economic crisis, by drastic cuts at the ing physical and cultural all levels of the education system, development of young workers but further capitalism threatens it will also provide jobs for the restrict the development of human unemployed. science and culture and attacks the limited education that Youth at School and College.

by have been won working Capitalism denies working class class. youth access to education and the Though both the course content right to work. and structure of the education unemployment working system embody the desire of the rises, class youth 4l c ruling class to develop a privileged intelligentsia to its class interests, intose shich paras of it to defend.

defend the jobs oI workers in the colleges and preserve what access to education has been the class, won for we working all in higher oppsose

CUTS

education. We call for financial accounts and details of the planned cuts to be made open to elected committees of education workers and other trade unionists.

We call for students' represen- tatives to be brought on to these committees and for joint student- trade union action against the cut backs. This must 11C0e mobilisation of the working class around the demand for a sliding scale of public spending.

Alongside this must go the fight for entry to the colleges and uni- versities all to be made open to youth who are willing to study. For an immediate grants increase to give maintenance and automatic 3lll increases for to inflation under the control of trade union committees. The existing leadership of the National Union of Students have proved themselves incapable of leading such a fight to defend higher education against the attacks the Callaghan-Healey

NO LEAD

With the government announ- cing more and more drastic cut backs in the number of teachers to be employed, and the teacher train- ing colleges being rationalised cater for fewer trainee teachers, the NUS have provided no leadership in the fight back against these attacks.

It was the student teachers themselves, faced with the threat of the dole, who this year occupied their colleges in protest against the education cut backs. The Broad Left leadership of the

NUS,

elected with the suppos Tory votes

NUS

Conference, moved in, not to sup- port organise and extend the action of the student teachers, but to gain control of the actions so that they could defuse them as quickly as possible. A fight by students on the above programme for education cannot be from the struggle replace the leadership of the NUS, the fight to expose the bankruptcy of the Broad Left with its policy of talk, demonstrations and no action, and the struggle to build a new, revolutionary leadership in the student movement, a struggle which can win many of the best students to the WSL. It is through our understanding that the attacks on the education system cannot be finally defeated without the working class seizing state power, and with a perspective of winning students to the side of the working class that we fight to take a leading role in the struggles to defend higher education against the cuts.

INTELLECTUALS

of Though only minority students are open to revolutionary politics it can be a valuable gain for the movement to win a section of young intellectuals. This can only be an overall gain for the WSL, however, if they are fully won to revolutionary Marxism and integrated into the work of the League. of because their. class position and the strength of ruling class ideas in the universities there 1s a danger bringing idealist methods into the League.

Consequently it is essential for to take fight for students up a Marxist theory in conflict with the ruling class ideology in higher education. On this basis they can also fulfill a vital role in bringing the ideas of revolutionary Marxism to the more class elements the 1n working class who attracted towards the revolutionary party.

This development cannot at this level. separation theory and practice is an essential of idealist part and reactionary schools of thought. Only by taking up a struggle in practice to win the working class to the revolutionary programme, by struggles participating the of their generation, can students be as part of developed and tested a revolutionary leadership.

Page 8 The Chinese Revolution and the People's Republic of China help to shape virtually every important political question of our time. Second only the October to Revolution and the establishment the Soviet Union, the Third Chinese Revolution's victory 1949 overshadows the history of the second half of this century.

Livio Maitan, revised edition of this important book sets himself the task of Marxist "the society and the alalysis ol politics that emerged from this momentous transiormation' the central aim of showing how the concentration of political decisions in the hands of a "tiny group of top Party leaders..systematically comes into collision with the under- lying momentum of the socialist revolution itself."

SEPARATES

In doing this he separates him- self from the two predominant schools of thought and writing on "inspired by modern China: those anti-communism and the Cold War Whose aim is to attack and discredit the revolution"; Chinese and writing which "simply echoes with naive enthusiasm particular official ideology of the moment.. olten wutten by those wno have spent a month or two travellling in China and are understandably impressed by what they have seen.

In both cases, Maitan correctly points out, the result is "a complete inability to grasp the nature of political struggles in China" (Intro- duction, pp8-11). Maitan writes as political leader of the majority tendency the 'United Secretariat the Fourth International'. book therefore offers an opportunity examine one central example of the way in which the general line and iramework of political analysis of this section of the world Trotskyist movement attacks the problems presented by the development of Stalinism in China, in this case set out at length rather than attempt- ing compress the and scope complexity of events into the limits of a journal article or similar.

It Maitan's credit that he Is To recognises and cleariv Line importance and difficulty of the task he sets himself.

DETAILED

The centrepiece of the book is a fairly detailed account (a little less than 200 pages) of the events of Cultural the Revolutioni, concen- the trating the period from August 1966 Plenum of the Com- munist Party Central Committee, which the public demotions of Liu Shao-chi and Teng Hsiao-ping began, through Mao's drive to re- establish central control in the first half of 1967, using the Army as a means of intervention in political because it concentrates so heavily the 'first three years of the Cultural Revolution, 1966-68. apparatus, to the defeat of the left These events did, indeed, form a groupings in 1968. crucible. In it were released many This central section is preceded of the hostilities of the masses, by chapter outlining meets trom and especially the youth, towards establish- developments the of the many particular aspects People's Republic of the governing stratum. 1949 to 1965; and Maitan ends with a final chapter on The After-

ANTAGONISMS

math of the Cultural Revolution' of Latent antagonisms within the which deals with the ousting latter erupted violently, sometimes Lin Piao (Mao's main lieutenant in dating back to times well before thee earlier of the Cultural Revolution) in September and the the liberation of 1949 (and, at least as often, being dated back that far madden moves of Chinese foreign in polemic by Party leaders deter- policy to relations with mined to show - in the full Stalin- American imperialism in the same ist tradition - that their opponents year. had worked covertly The book does not, of course, against socialism and the state for discuss the spectacular eyents which decades past). ave taken place this year following In the chapter on "The Dismissed death of Chou En-lai: the Leaders' Maitan reviews the econd removal of Teng Hsiao-ping, accusations and replies that were death of Mao and the leadership exchanged, but without casting •risis which it brought to a head.

much light on thei underlying ousting of the "Shanghai fi by Hua and the military chiefs.

causes. He demonstrates clearly, for example, that the charges levelled

UNDERSTANDING

against Liu-Shao-chi from April as having been an opponent But how far can Maitan's book of Mao utterly false and were rip us understand these dishonest. They represented, more- more generally, the basic class over, an attempt to rewrite history orces at work in the Chinese state?

during the 'left' phases of the In asking this question we must Cultural Revolution in such a way L is Maitan in examining all the 1 two drher ones, How success that the rightist policies of Mao and the Party leadership as a whole in contradictory sides Chinese the past could be blamed on scape- i a does he succeed in bringing and political history? And goats and 'infiltrators' like Liu.

Thus the charge that Liu not the central, essential antagon- favoured 'peace and democracy' → of Chinese society and of the rather than class struggle and social Dines the inter- revolution following the victory sional class struggle over Japan in 1945 is one that is As far as the first patently true of the whole Party question is oncerned it Fould be leadership, to including Mao, who cadema Maitan's book personally conducted the negotia. solely

THE CULTURAL

REVOLUTION

*Party, Army and Masses in China: A Marxist Interpretation of the Cultural Revolution and Its Aftermath', by Livio Maitan. Translated by Gregor Benton and Marie Collitti.

(Second, revised edition, New Left Books, London, 1976; first edition published as 'Partito e Masse nella Crisi Cinese, Rome 1969.)

REVIEWED BY PAUL STEIN

tions for a coalition with Chiang therefore, punctures, falsifications and abuses carried out supporters at different times in the echelons of the bureaucracy.

He deals tunist origins and development o the "theory' that the Soviet Union become a 'social imperialist' with a new ruling class, and with of cultural and intellectual life by Mao's wife Slanders aChinst Lil and others.

But Maitan's assessment of these political positions is eclectic 'Sheng-wu-lien Hanan (published March 1968), on the grounds that it finds the driving force of the Cultural Revolution in "looks generally to be socialist" and the political superstructure (the state machinery) which and yet decadent privileged stratum programme goes on to retai estimates of day, including Mao, Lin eulogies to Piao and Chitchin® Sheng-wutien Although was pubhcly it appears bave overstepped the mark only in Workers on a Chinese Commune one specific respect branding Chou En-lai as the "general repres- entative of China's red capitalist class". Yet Maitan draws the conclusion "ultra-left' this other that and of which less is known, groups, "show that the cultural revolution generated forces capable of under- standing its dual nature, , its contra- dictions and its essential limitations and capable of showing the way forward the revolutionary struggle necessary to overthrow the rule of the bureaucracy".

Such conclusion contains a kernel truth, and of correct optimism, but It IS dangerously vague and complacent.

What marks and limits the texts he quotes is an inability to break from dependence on the political authority on a section and at that moment the ruling section of the bureaucracy. The Cultural Revolution in China was not the breaking of the political revolution against the bureaucracy whole, nOT, in as a almost all cases, did those who were drawn into struggle against 'capital- ist roaders break from bureaucratic leadership.

SUPPORT

On the contrary, Mao and his changing layers of support within Party state, army and tne apparatuses were able to strengthen their positions by directing the fire which arose from political hostility the bureaucracy whole as a against particular sections which were made into objects of sacrifice.

Maitan mentions only briefly the invasion of the Foreign Ministry by Guards the Foreign SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 15th December, 1976 Languages Institute in May 1967, in of documents establish the complicity of Liu with Suharto, chiet butcher Indonesian oi the counter-revolution. The 'Central Group of the Cultural under Mao, kevolution in the person of and so probably Chiang all lie iately, summoning in the army to ensure that the archives were returned to safe, secret storage. And the reason is clear - the docu- ments risked incriminating not only Liu, but the entire hierarchy, up to and including Chou and Mao, in a way which it might not have been easy to contain. Another, broader, question which gets insufficient emphasis in Maitan's book is the origins of the bureaucratised Chinese modern, state in the areas controlled by the Communist Party and the Army before the liberation of 1949.

95 MILLION

probable estimate that in 194s the mentions, it is population of the 'liberated areas centred on Yenan) was around 95 millions (ie larger than of the states of Western Europe today) he - put his nonetheless effectively begins account from October 1949, when Mao proclaimed People's Republic of China. While this is without question the highest watershed in political terms, it is an artificial date for purposes of understanding the social origins and character of the bureaucratic strata against which the Cultural rebels the Revolution rebelled. They were largely formed, and began decisive social weight, in administering the 'quasi- organisations which ruled very large areas and populations - without expropriating landlords or capitalists - for more than a decade and a half before liberation. And it was this stratum based 'on the peasant army which routed Chiang Kai-shek in civil war, which took political power in 1949 Not grasping this nettle present- ed by real historical development, Maitan can say little of fundamen- tal importance about the central contradiction of the Third Chinese Revolution: that the revolution- ary transformation of property and this huge production relations in nation state has taken place under the leadership of a Stalinist party which played and continues to play - a role of compromise and balance with the main imperialist powers, acting to protect capitalist rule outside its own frontiers.

ILLUSION

It is an illusion to suppose that Mao's leadership broke with Stalin- ism in carrying through the revol- ution in 1949, and that only later the social formation of the bureaucracy. Chinese Stalinism led the war for political military and power in order to defend the social base into which it had already sunk deep roots. Maitan's analysis, however, oscil- lates on the basic character of the bureaucracy in China and its social He tends to seek for the root. causes of Stalinist openly political methods in habits brought over and revived from the Stalinised Comintern. And though his book contains and many important interesting observations and facts, and numerous useful references to non- Chinese language sources, these are mostly embedded in arguments so general that one is left with a series only of impressions, of never having examined the wood for always looking at the trees - even if very critically at some of them.

POST WAR STALINISM

In this, Maitan's approach reflects the basic eclecticism towards the post-war history of Stalinism which characterises the entire tendency within the USFI of which he forms a part. His book has been attacked in the bourgeois press for depending on solely non-Chinese sources. Such accusations are light-minded. There is an entire cottage industry in the West now devoted to the narrow and blinkered 'explanation' of this that of China. Maitan aspect recognises that the Chinese revol- ution is too important a matter to left the to Sinologists; he attempts though he does not succeed - to treat it as a whole and as a Marxist. And despite its faults, his book provides one of the most useful factual accounts in English of the Cultural Revolution.

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INDUSTRIAL NEWS

CONFERENCE BACKS EGA

Rege 10

OCCUPATIUN

A conference held on Satur-

ASTMS

and

COHSE

regional day 11th December to build officials explaining their role in it.

support for the occupation of One of the latter, Frank Dowling of ASTMS, spoke also of his role as Elizabeth Garrett the councillor in Newham in refusing to Anderson hospital showed vote for the cuts in defiance of the that London healthi clearly Labour whips there. determined workers are to important issue to

HONI

arise in this session, however, was take decisive action to defend the NHS, which the Labour question what the occupation itself means and what government's massive cuts are it should achieve. threatening to destroy.

NUPE

full-timer Mike Taylor, inconcer ence me man foint suggested that its aims primary Joint had been to get publicity and Stewards Committee and members surprise closure but prevent floor, of the Central London Medical several speakers trom

COH

CUTS-

COHSE

CoM NES outs wil make you sck branch of ASTMS because of the including members of the Workers need to build a network of London Socialist League, argued that the health service workers to back up occupation must be the beginning the EGA occupation and begin to workers control of the hospital, of initiate coordinated action against with the workers actually taking and over the running of it and develop- other hospital ing a plan for expanding services to backs. workers gaoe ove tone of thelt to Iesponse meet women's health needs in the Christmas last Saturdays before

EGA

ALL-LONDON

discussion of the occupation, the struggles led by In the second session, on all- stewards in other parts of London, and proposais for future supporting London health cuts, speakers from the social platform attacked action on a London wide basis.

The conference began with EGA contract which the government has stewards filling in the background cheat workers out of 100s.

NUPE,

wages and services, and the RAWP occupation and to

SHEFFIELD UNIONS

FIGHT CUTS

At a mass meeting of the breakfast. shop continental One steward even went so far as to say Northern General Hospital in that he would refuse to implement Sheffield, last week, members the decison of the meeting sayıng of NUPE and COHSE voted continental breakfast overwhelmingly refuse to At a second meeting the leader- serve continental prepare and ship made yet another attempt to breakfasts consisting of a bowl reverse the decision but were again of serial and a bread roll which defeated. has been introduced into the

PUT OFF

hospital in place of the usual three course cooked breakfast The hospital management have now been forced temporarily as part of the cuts. put off the of the introduction A continental breakfast would mean not only reduction This shows that the cuts can and but SerVICES. alsu - not only against must De lougal reduction in the number of catering the Area Health Authority but also staff required to prepare the meal.

against the union leaderships.

The mass meeting took this The fight must be taken up now decision despite the union leaders' by hospital workers for joint attempts to avoid a struggle.

shop stewards committees The union leaders tried to area established rtrerse the vote by inviting the prepare local strike action catering against the cuts. the of "ments" the proposes axing 62 report which hospitals in London over the next year. They cited facts and figures showing the extent of the cuts and the impact of "nil growth", which already meant 20% longer waiting lists. Colin Kenny,

(ASTMS)

from St. Mary's hospital, Paddington, in his area stewards explained how had exposed the role Joint Committees in doing Consultative management's dirty work and set instead Joint Shop Stewards Committees which, for example; 3,000 mobilised health service workers on November 17th. in a local and march

«CORE LIDI

preceding the main demonstration.

(NALGO) of West Chris Potter Middlesex hospital also of spoke the need for strong Joint Shop Stewards Committees to ordinate action at both hospital and area levels. She questioned the validity of Community Health Councils which had in most areas refused to put up any fight against the cuts.

Following this, own struggles: Hackney hospital workers who decided this week to ban moving line up of A formidable national union bureaucrats assembled in Willesden Trades 12th December to Hall on socialism Sunday make speeches. They were appearing at a meet- ing to support the Grunwick strike a great let-out for them from having to defend the policies of the Labour government against hostility of their members.

employer has This reactionary provided them with an excuse for 'left' militant words.

TUC

General Secretary Len Murray insisted the whole trade union movement was on the side of the strikers - yet the TUC has done but circulate branches nothing calling for financial and moral support.

MED

of patients out two wards scheduled for closure in St. Marks hospital; Labour Party

LACAD AN

fighting force their MPs to to oppose government policy on the Camden's • Jock Stallard was 'as an exambe ot Ps whc claim to be personally opposed to the cuts but who continue to vote for them in Parliament.

REFUSED

EGA steward Arthur Churchley, prompted some heated discussion över the Camden and Islington Area Joint Shop Stewards' Committee whose convenor recenti far refuse as to to accept

EGA

delegation of stewards speaking on the occupation.

Churchley proposed that the committee should be reconstituted stewards of those who actually want to lead a fight in the area Stewards from University College Hospital the Royal and Free Hospital spoke of the need for militant stewards to give consistant support to the struggles of others.

At the end of the conference a passed resolution the EGA occupation and all other occupations to stop hospital closures. The resolution further calls for sympathy strikes and all- strike action in the New London Year as beginning in rejecting

RAWP

report and the cuts Tante already underway.

SUPPORT

Delegates supported a call for a labour movement conference in the spring and a number of delegates euto be hethe

CLASH

spoke in held on 23rd conference 1977. February This conference basis for will be the a London Joint Shop Stewards Committee health The de co-ordinate a wide response to back up any local initiatives We support the CLASH confer- enice and see it as the way forward 1n ODDOSINg more tnan a hospital by hospital basis picket 24-hour continues at the EGA itself and all support is welcomed. Come by the hospital Bureaucrats turn out for Grunwick rally He paid tribute to the Labour government for bringing in the Employment Protection Act which has now defied by the been Grunwick management. Lena Jaeger brought greetings from the Labour Party National Executive Committee and appealed to the meeting to inform them of "loopholes" in the Act But while Roy Grantham, APEX General Secretary well fight to the finish speech speech Stalinist Maurice Styles of the UPW executive called for "realism" and the avoidance another Shrewsbury Two - this time with postmen in jaii. Styles fears on this of course would be the greater with the of the complete betrayal 1c10l of the Shrewsbury pickets by the

TUC!

-дото. пасклеу azere Hackney hospital workers and join the picket Over the period. Donations and Christmas requests for speakers to:

EGA

Joint Shop Stewards, NW1. Euston Road, London (Tel. 387 2501). Provisional details of the CLASH Conference are that • take 1t

WIL

place on Wednesday 23rd February at 2 pm at Bonham-Carter House 52, Gower St. London. For further- information Terry contact Camden

ISSC.

Prosperer, University College Hospital, Gower St. London. THE FOLLOWING motion was passed by the Colchester branch oi

ASTMS.

"This branch of ASTMS:

NOTES

1) The recent decision by workers the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Hospital to occupy the hospital in order to prevent its closure.

The continuous 24-hour picket 2) which has been placed on the hospital, and the call by workers there for active support for the occupation. 3) That this occupation is officially supported by the following unions:

ASTMS: NALGO: COHSE; NUPE.

RESOLVES

To actively support the occupation, and as a token to donate £15 to the occupation fund.

DEMANDS

1) That the Camden and Islington Área Health Authority open all its of trade books committee elected by the workers unionists engaged in the occupation.

2) That MP's Lena Jager and Jock Stallard, who have been involved in the EGA struggle: a) fight against the closure of the hospital; b) vote against all public expen- diture cuts. 3) That the NEC of ASTMS name a day and date for a one day national

EGA

strike in support the workers, and in protest at all public expenditure cuts. 4) Copies of this motion to be sent to: 'a) EGA workers; b) ASTMS Divisional Council No. 5 and Jock MP's Lena Jager Stallard. d) Camden and Islington AHA.

At the same time he intimated he would support the reimposition of a black on Grunwick's mail.

In contrast to this rhetoric was the straightforward account of the by Mohammed Ahmed, struggle Secretary of the Strike Committee who called for the blacking of all Grunwick products. And the AUEW Convenor of the local Associated Automation GEC Wagu, factory, Abdul correctly condemned the talk of reliance on and stresser arbitraton the importance of industrial action.

Grunwick workers are uniikely the verbal to be taken by displays presented by the union leaders last sunday. As in Trico and a whole series of local disputes now in progress, real support from these officials have produced victory almost at once.

BITTER FIGHT FOR HOTEL UNIONS

SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 15th December, 1976 A call for one day all out strike action by

T&GWU

members in Oxford to support striking hotel workers has the local bureaucrats faced

LINTON LODGE

with a major problem. The strike would close down the Cowley factories and bring Oxford to a halt - actions that the

¡TRNE CORHIT

bureaucrats will fight to the finish to avoid. But at the same time they have pledged themselves to support- ing :M15/670 town who are striking over union recognition. Workers at the Linton Lodge and at the four star Randolph came out on strike after he teaked. sacked when they joined the Their struggles now in them fifth and fourth weeks respectively.

NO NICETIES

The managements - with none of the niceties that the Leyland management have out to the union bigwigs - sent the ACAS arbitration men packing and first refused meet union to best to get his members out too.

officials. He said that once the disputes the Oxford and were they should District Trades Union Council extend the pubs and battles into caled a demonstration in the town then shops! to back the hotel workers to which But lower, fearing an excess of about 300 workers responded.

"You zeal, added a warning can At the meeting following the do your best and if your best only march Pat Lally, a representative of is not good hit i Union walking round criticising anyone.

Committee, called on the T&GWU to recall the District Committee

FORTE

after Christmas and to call strike action throughout Oxford.

contribution which Truste Houses Forte, Jark a key struck an immediate response from the Randolph and who are strongly the meeting. rumoured to taking quoted over

T&GWU

District Organiser Geoff Linton Lodge early next year, have meeting with Hulett Hulett, as saying that the strikes now called crucial and the T&GWU District Secretary, the pay and conditions of the catering industry David Buckle. throughout the Midlands signs that these Ominous If that is so it followed that officials looking for are already strike action on a massive scale was some form of compromise sell out "The time has come to came from Hulett who said that the back this dispute with action meeting must lead to a reasonable basis for further meetings.

Hulett, sitting next to Lally on The workers have such weighed with illusions. They have declared their invective against the "last bastion conditions to be reinstatement for labour" al sacked workers full union recoe.

TOTE

avoided the nition and the start of talks, in one mentioning either Committee or hotel on contracts of employment, District supporting the other and strikes. on wages The omission was so blatant that conditions. he was forced to his feet a second Both hotels are suffering under time to that the the pickets which have been say already hand

BULENI

guests and deliveries but both picket lines necessary Left-talking Trades Council are suffering from lack of numbers John Power, said that if of day president, at key times which has the

T&GWU

called: enabled the Randolph force supporting to strikes load of oil in the early

AULW

convenor at BLMC hours of Monday morning. do his mInERS' BALLOT

THE

VOTES

CAST

in the Red Weekly, for example, argues miners' union ballot on whether to that "As in 1974 the miners are not mandate the National Executive to for themselves; for just fighting call industrial action to back the Social they fighting the NUM demand for early retirement Contract policies of this Govern- are still being counted as we go to ment". press - but two things are certain.

Not a mention of wages by the FIRSTLY, there will be a huge

IMG

who fall hook, line and majority in support action to sinker for Gormley's decoy. Much win what is obviously a legitimate the same position is taken by the demand and one which the International Socialists, though leadership have refused to fight for their paper, Socialist Worker does for the last 30 years. at least mention the need to fight

AND

SECONDLY,

NUM

the 42% policy, though it makes no President Gormley has already call for a fight to smash the TUC- made it clear he has no intention of government wage freeze. calling any action regardless of the We fully support any action vote - simply using this indication taken to back the demand for early for a more respectible to mess to press retirement. But we have a duty to for a more respectable expose the underhand motives of mise" deal. the right wingers who Socialist Press stressed eloquently arugue tor it.

weeks ago that the early retirement We say that nearly every vote for issue has been wheeled out at this on the retirement demand action point by the leaders as a

NUM

could, if given a lead, have been a conscious diversion from the wages vote for action also on wages - struggle aiming to syphon off confront the 4%, and fight for miners' hostility to the impact of catching up increases tied to a cost the 4½% pay deal into the blind worked of living index out by alley of 'fringe benefits'.

elected trade union committees.

Yet some other left wing groups And we stand by our position in seem to regard the early retirement the last issue Socialist Press: OI issue as Social threat to the "Early retirement is a vital demand, Contract to such an extent that particularly for miners. But you they do not even criticise the stand Gormley's diversion of the right wing NUM leaders!

must be seen for what it is."

The front of the IMG's

• INDUSTRIAL NEWS

TGWU

51293 BRANCH

COVLEY

ISEMBL

The vital factor keeping the pickets going has been the workers' own massive efforts and the guidance and support of Student-Trade Union Liason Com- mittee. Workers at the hotels are begin- understand the links with. ning to other disputes up and down the speaker from the striking bingo hall workers at Coffey, spoke at the Oxford meeting saying they had been paid section of hotel Another workers in struggle are in the Aquatels. strike at Basildon, now in its second month. Conflict began when hotel workers at Aquatels Leisure Centre formed a G&M branch in an effort halt the increasing exploitation on that site. Even though

ACAS

arbitration found that 23 out of a of had workforce become members, and therefore legitim- ately formed a branch. managing director Mr. Reg Treble refused to recognise it. When the newly-unionised workers struck in defence of their rights, Treble promply all and evicted them from them their houses on the site.

Treble then brought in new workers who were hired on the basis that they would not join the union. Despite this harassment, six of Three thousand workers Alan from Edgar Balfour factories in Sheffield are now •on strike against the out of closure Balfour Darwins Capital Tool Works. Not only 450 jobs at the Capital Tool Works but many more in other factories are threatened by the first step in the closure, rationalisation plan. This joint action follows weeks of stalling by the Confed and the attempt to negotiate an alternative plan to "make the factory viable" The only action canca by tat Confed has been for the blacking of Balfour Darwins products to management negotiations. Rather than inefiective blacking factory after factory voted for full Oxford workers demonstrate in support of striking hotel workers.

years and joined the union to get a rise We thought it would be quite an easy fight but it hasn't worked out like that. Trade Union officials have not backed anything.

The fact is that in Coventry and in Oxford workers are learning how bankrupt are the militant noises of the trade union bureaucrats. It will maximum take the efforts of militants to ensure that they do not have learn that lesson too bitterly.

... AND IN LONDON TOO

the workers still on strike. manning a picket line which blocks the main road and blacking delivery of supplies to the bar and hotel.

But although the G&M agreed official support for the strike, the six have received no strike pay to and assistance from the

CRITE

no union until the London Hotels (3) branch jumped to give them aid. Officers of this branch ignored their Regional Officials who first circular asking for sent out a financial and moral support to the strikers and then when the London branch officers paid a visit to the picket and advised moving it to a strategic point where all incoming vehicles could be blacked turned the around and "this branch that strike does not concern you!" The London branch have donated all their branch funds to the strikers and solicited funds trom other sources

3,000 STRIKE AGAINST

STEEL SACKINGS

shutting strike action, down all the Edgar Alan Balfour factories in Sheffield. This action showed the strength to fight and determination the redundancies but it is hamstrung by the policies of the Confed leader- ship who refuse call official to strike action or fight for the nation- alisation of the industry.

Instead they argue for a plan for, "viability' accepting that the pres- ervation of jobs is conditional upon guaranteeing the profits the Company. Under the cloak of negotiations with management about ' "viability" they are preparing the ground for voluntary redundancies .and reduction in the workforce.

These negotiations entirely direct away from a fight against defend lobs. opposition to the Confed leaders, Page 11 Support fo Bingo Stril

SEVERAL

HUNDR

Coventry trade unionists crow T&GWU hall into the local Friday to attend fund-rai social for the women. now in of their strike eighth week union recognition at Club Bingo. The response of the Cover labour movement was so great the hall was soon filled to capa and many had to be turned away In situation where massive support exists the obvi question is why eight weeks?

Why have the strikers and t supporters been standing in free temperatures picketing Bingo, while even with the st being official from the first there have been union officials to instit trade blacking. The strikers have had to f inch of the way for every moves from the officials.

It was not until thirty of the T&G occupied offices that the union began distribute hards regular payments. The powerful support show!

the social should be turned in concerted effort to force the T black all deliveries Club One and other Orr Enterpr establishments. Donations and picketing help both still urgently needed. Ge touch with: Sister Coffey, T&G Ann Shop Steward, 42, Hamilton Ro Stoke, Coventry. Trades Cou The Basildon donated a tent so that the pic can man a 24 hour vigil. But the role of the G&M bur different from that crats is the AUEW in the Trico strike.

There the

AUEW

gave offi support but did not fight for bla ing of windscreen wipers within car industry - thereby prolon the struggle. The G&M similarly refuses give any lead at all to hotel worl Hotels the Central 1n London, (Central Hotels own hotel at the Leisure Centre), gi call for action no industrial defence of victimised un The London (3) branch has challenged the Regic

COTTAGENT

Or all workers, spendly al workers, especially members, to raise the call for s port their branches and in Regional level. the fight must be taken up for defence of all jobs by work-shar on full pay. The strike action must extended other Edgar to Balfour factories outside Sheff and elected committees must established in each factory to fi Ior the opening of the books of plans company to expose management and lay the basis fo fight for the nationalsation of company under workers' man: ment. No compensation must be f to the owners but instead fina injected to expand and moder To fight for these policies to thwart management's attem to move out machinery and cl the plant, the occupation.of Capital Tool Works must be iou for.

Page 12 Support continues to grow for the campaign to stop the deportations American journalists Philip Agee and Mark Hosenball. ACTT, as well as

CPSA

and many individual. trade union branches. have endorsed the work of the Agee/Hosenball Defence Committee. On Wednesday 8th December, two-hour picket outside Home Office attracted about 150 supporters, mostly members of the National Union of Journalists to which both Agee and Hosenball belong. Magazine The Book and Branches of the NUJ passed resol- utions calling for a one day strike by all chapels, (office branches) in connection with the picket.

But the NUJ leadership have to mobilise the nothing done behind its endangered meeting with Rees has been set up, a press confer- ence is to be called, and a some- what lackadaisical canvass of NUJ MPs has begun.

BLEATING

Union The National of Students invited Agee to address full national conference weekend and over 100 Labour MPs have raised their voices but only Arthur one, has beyond ritual ewis, bleating, to withold his vote from

LIC COYOTE CHI

Home Secretary Merlyn Rees first announced the deportations on November 16th and 17th. Rees declared that the two were to be "security reasons" expelled for under a section of the 1971 Immi- gration Act. efforts All to discover the charges have so far been in vain.

Rees refuses to reveal them, again, for "security reasons"! Agee appeal will be tried" The before hand-picked appeals tribunal. (Agee January 11th, on Hosenball on the 19th), and even then they will not be told why they are being kicked out, nor will they tation Both Agee and Hosenball have denied threat posing any British security. Agee, a former CIA agent, has provoked extreme

EXPULSIONS:

ACT NOW!

hostility from the American government for his book exposing the Agency's terrorist activities (Inside the Company: CIA Diary).

His recent uncovering of CIA activities in Jamaica has also not endeared him to friends of imper- ialism. In the absence of concrete information, rumours about the reasons for the deportations have been rife.

DENIED

At one point it was mooted that Hosenball had been planning to name members of Mio in the Counterspy: and the magazine theory was put forward about security and government agents in Ulster. Both these allegations have Agee is now working second book. but Britain is not mentioned in it. It is reasonable to suppose that the force behind the expulsions is the CIA itself. There is a new Agency chief in Britain, Edward Proctor, and disrupting Agee's work may have been one of his first assignments.

With the loan negotia- recent tions with the IMF, the govern- ment is particularly sensitive, and even more eager than usual to act as lackeys for American imperial- isme British "security" has been threatened, so British Military the better. Intelligence, whether operating at home or in the Six Counties, does nothing to protect the interests of working class. glove collaboration with the CIA should be exposed wherever possible.

CAMPAIGN

We support the demands of the Agee/Hosenball Defence Commit- tee (Stop the deportations; Agee with the CIA; Repeal the Immi- movement against this dangerous infringement of democratic rights.

We call on the NUJ to reject back-door haggling with this anti- working class government and to Any Labour MP of principle should add his refusal that of Arthur Lewis. Agee/Hosenball Defence demonstration on Sunday January ment Tube Station at 12.45pm, to

PAMPHLETS

benefit film performance will be held at The Other Cinema, Tottenham Goodge St. Tube) on Saturday December 18th, at 4pm. The Committee have also

CIA

published two pamphlets, (20p) and Briefing Jamaica De: stablised (25p), available from the Agee/Hosenball Defence Commit- tee, c/o

NCCL,

186, Kings Cross Road, WC1, to which donations and resolutions of support should a Desoll What's the matter... you want to stay free, don't you?

POLICE ATTACK

FRENCH PRINT

trade and cities the streets on 6th December to protest against the brutal police occupation "Parisien police invasion followed a of the finding in favour court bosses and against the workers plant, as part of a occupying the dispute with the old twc y cal anti-union management. Most of France went without a daily paper as print workers and journalists struck in sympathy.

The unanimity and militancy of the of anger from the against working class class of the working policies Giscard regime and Prime Minister of cutting Teal barre's and creating unemploy- wages ment. Employers have torn up exist- ing agreed wage contracts which don't fit the new wage control regulations. Electricity and postal already workers have strikes against the measures and many others are threatened.

The Stalinist leaders of the Communist Party feder- ation, the CGT, are forced to run as fast as their legs will carry them to appear to be still at the head of this wave of anger. verbally opposing But SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 15th December, 1976

SIT-IN

French CP leader, Marchais

FUND

SPECIAL FUND

The collection at the end of our First Annual Conterence saw the target for the complete £1,000 Special Fund. A few small pledges are still outstanding and should be quickly

CHIC

possible. Final total: £1,012.86.

DECEMBER £600 FUND

Donations for the Monthly Fund are beginning to arrive but we are to complete the fund before Christmas as we would like, there remain only ten more days in which to do so. 'so far Among donations received are the following: Oxford, £15; Banbury, £1.40; South London, £13.48; Coventry, £3.20; East London, £1.00; Islington, Leamington, $5: £20; Central Winsford, £17.50; Hull, £10; South condon Yorks £1 Total to date: £104.58 Please send all donations to: Socialist Press Monthly Fund 31, Dartmouth Park Hill London, NWS 1HR

NEXT

EDITION

Since our next edition is due to appear in Christmas week, with the preparatory work falling over Christmas weekend, the Editorial Board 'Socialist Press has of decided to postpone publication of next our edition for one week. the Barre economic plan, they We shall therefore re- limit action to token strikes and the New Year explicitly reject any political appear in offensive against the government.

on Wednesday January 5th.

Party Political Communist In the meantime, we wish Bureau member Fiterand said "we all our readers and supporters do not believe in strikes as a political weapon. We are happy to Season's greetings. wait for the proper election date.

SOCIALIST

PRESS *

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