Socialist Press no. 50

ONLY STRIKE ACTION CAN STOP THE CUTS!

1977:

FOR THE

Pipe-dreams, wage cuts and dole queues - these were the only prospects offered in New Year's messages from the Healey-Callaghan govern- ment, immersed as it is in efforts to restore the profits of crisis-ridden British capitalism. In this they are still backed to the hilt by the TUC leaders, pledged at all costs to preserve the Social Contract. central reason the

TRIS

issue facing workers in 1977 is to organise the swelling resistance to around policies in these leaders, defence of jobs and wages.

SIX MONTHS

There can scarcely be a worker who takes Healey anywhere seriously when he claims that "we have got a difficult six months" before things look up again. How we heard this times have and from bureaucrats determined to force through further cuts in living standards? Meanwhile, of course, British inflation continues to soar despite the slashed value of the wage packet, and capitalism inter- sign of nationally shows 110 trade is already upturn stagnating and investment falling.

All this that if we means accepted Healey's line workers would confront not six months, but an endless prospect of cuts in public services, huge rises in food and other prices, mounting redun- dancies and wages held down by the

TUC

only until July not (under the 42% deal) but after July under strict limits to be written into a Phase Three of the

SOCIALIST

PRESS *

WHICH WAY

UNIONS?

KNIGHTHO

Social Contract. 1976 gave an idea of the deter- mination of the TUC leaders to - as manoeuvre after manoeuvre was used to 17-1 stage-managed secure majority for the 42% limit at the June Special Congress, despite the opposition of the rank and file.

Since then the frontal attacks on the Seamen (with the threat to expel the NUS from the TUC and smash it by organised scabbing if the leadership called strike action the 42%) and on the against Rubery Owen workers (engineers threatened with discipline by the

AUEW;

and electricians beaten by an unprecedented inter- vention by union officials includ-

TUC

chief Murray and two Ing union Presidents, all seeking to which sectional strikes threaten pay laws) show both the hostility within the working class to wage control and their leaders

FORTNIGHTLY PAPER OF THE

WORKERS SOCIALIST LEAGUE

NO 50 * 5th January 1977 * 10p PHOTO: Chris Davies, Report the cuts in social services.

TUC leaders have been careful "fight" on all these to limit unis marches, questions to protest token strikes and lobbies divorced from all-out strike action to force a change of government policy.

They know only too well that the cuts and unemployment are a of the Social Contract vital part which the Labour government

ULL

has chosen to stake its existence.

ELECTION

If the Social Contract smashed by workers on any it will mean the

THESE

defeat of the Labour government of a General and the prospect Election bringing the Tories to power. We stand of curse in appor ition the return government. But if the right wing Labour leaders consciously jeopar- implemen. ase rue movercal ov ting a programme of Tory policies

O.K. JACK...RAM HOME PHASE 3

then the responsibility for the loss

AND YOU CAN TAKE YOUR PICK!

of Labour support and-the return a Tory government must lie with them, and with the spineless "lefts" who refuse to them, not with the workers who resist these policies. even the Social In any event, Contract cannot for long save this Labour completely reactionary administration. The crisis of British capitalism rushes ahead far faster than their desperate attempts to patch it together.

At almost any time another forcing the se conment to sace, forcing the government to further loans from the IMF on terms which could force a General Election. Whatever proves to be the case trade unionists need to enter 1977 armed with programme adequate to the task of contron- complete determination to hold it not just the employer, but ting at all costs. also TUC and government. Such tensions within the trade must increase as the unions

INDEPENDENT

pressure for wages grows with the rising tide of inflation. Certain The first task is to mobilise the like bureaucrats miners independent strength of the Lne leaders have already sensed this While the unions. bureaucrats and move in to enforce dictatorial rule set out to nead oll tel members 'fringe benefit' by full-time officials over the rank into claims making cynical use of the and file, dragging stewards and legitimate demand for early retire- convenors into management roles place of a the through 'participation' schemes, ment to take defence of the basic wage.

the fight must be taken up for the regular election of all full time Despite this, struggles officials, for democratic erupt on wages in struggles which, though they may procedures in the unions and the of the complete independence at first seem isolated, reflect the feelings of the mass of workers, unions from employer and state.

At the same time the following and open up the possibility of the demands to defend the working outbreak action weescale against the 4½% limit. class must be fought for in every union Conference in 1977: This movement on wages inter- *End wage controls now! For connects also with resistance to all substantial catching up increases attacks now launched by the employers on the working class - Cont'd on Back Page Col. 5 in particular unemployment and

CHINA'S

"CIVIL

WAR"

The carefully selected and censored reports of political and armed struggle in several of China now being parts issued by government-run sources give only very partial picture. Like the grotesque series of continue which accusators mount against the Shanghai-based four, arrested of the reports are clearly October, all designed brand any and to opposition to the regime of Hua Kuo-feng and the army chiefs as the work of provocateurs, terror- ists and counter-revolutionaries.

At the same time the selective release of information now by the official media reveals two impor- ant things. Firstly, Hua's leadership has found it impossible to deal with opposition province by province and is now trying to head off the of and agitation spread

ICW.

through 'unofficial channels.

And secondly, the struggles are taking place on a vast scale.

Szechwan, the vast western agricultural province bordering on Tibet, with a population of 100 was the scene of 'civil millions, war' and fighting in the major city of Paoting, 100 miles south of Peking was quelled only by army intervention It is said also that industrial Kiangsi production throughout province (south central China) was paralysed by 'disruption'. All such news points to political resis- tance on a vast scale, confirming that the grip of Hua's regime remains precarious. And the substance of Hua's Continued on Page 2

INSIDE

Hotel workers fight for ....Page 4 unions. Syndicalism and the British . Page 7 working class The Artist Under Stalinism: Shostakovitch .... Page 6 Defend Print Jobs.. Page 9 Plus supplement The Fight for Revolutionary Leadership - Part One.

S AFRICA - MURDER

Page 2

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

AS USUAL

black urban areas but, as last Sep- The final days of 1976 were tember's events in Soweto proved, marked by murder and the hostility has been systematical- "town- carnage in the black ly fostered by the police.

of South Africa. Ships' According to the South African

WHIM

72 blacks were killed and police, Migrant workers are exception- hundreds of others wounded. Forty ally low-paid even for South Africa six of the dead were in the province and they can be sent back to the of Natal, 26 in the suburbs of "tribal home- Nyanga, destitution of the Gugulato and Langa lands" they came from at the whim around Cape Town. of the white authorities.

Hundreds others were This allows the police to bribe wounded and thousands made and threaten them into taking homeless as a result of arson.

action against the leaders of the organised

OFFICIAL VERSION

growing movement of rebellion South Africa's The official version. or these urban blacks events given by the racist police is Eye-witnesses have consistently that the deaths and injuries were reported provocative actions by the suffered mainly by black students police over the last two weeks of and resident workers who had slaughter; and hospital evidence attacked migrant workers who then shows that a large proportion of the retaliated. The dead and injured had been shot migrants were refusing to participate in a planned uown by ponce bunets. "Christmas of mourning" for the The police casualty figures for the past two weeks should probably nundreds ot blacks murdered by the police earlier in the year.

be at least doubled. Although the Vorster regime's The censorship makes hard the Rand Daily Cape establish the exact truth, there can Times and the South African be no doubt that its account is a lie.

Relations of Race has Tensions certainly exist between revealed that the black since migrant workers and others in the uprising first broke out in Soweto Chinese workers CHINA... Continued from Front Page Christmas Day speech the much as Hua, the so-called 'radicals' national conference on agriculture avoid any real anions could be expected to arouse oppos- mobilisation of the political ition in important sections of the Chinese masses, with all the dangers working class and peasantry.

this would bring for the rule of the Alongside the routine obeisances bureaucracy as a wnole. to Mao and the denunciation of the It is because the 'left' are part of four' and Soviet gang 'social and parcel of the bureaucracy that imperialism' demands for Hua has been able to make political higher output and labour capital out of Mao's widow's life of CIty. and "systematise brivlege and arrogance I gational standards' in industry.

But he is much more reluctant This bluntly put more undertake any sort of system- =eas a policy of allowing pay atic charges against them - though ¿ Werentials to be if they are guilty of one hundredth enterprise (such differentials were of the crimes they are accused of, main targets of the this would justify immediate trials.

Cultural Revolution!) and a turn Such trials would, however, be •aards the 'economic' pricing of difficult to exceedingly limit #: less: consumer products.

them alone. In the political crisis opened up policy will mean an by Mao's final illness and death, the Chinese working class will need to hi the living standards of the CHew itagersmip, based on a thoroughgoing oppos- #leges of the bureaucratic layers.

¡ton to the Stalinist policies of all sections of the bureaucracy.

opposition to its policies Such a leadership wowe selme self fermented by the gang of and democratic- openly ally, with the orivileges and abuses is seals. though. Chiang Ching of the ruling caste, and open up for Soporets never went the masses examine the hidder limits of struggle history of the Chinese Communist the bureaucracy: Party. last June 500 blacks have been killed the official compared with police figure of about 250.

Of the 500 dead, 376 were residents of Soweto. A sample of "normal" life under apartheid was given by the police report that over Christmas Soweto was "completely calm". "Only 19" people died violent deaths, "no more than a normal weekend"! The number of political prison- ers detained since June is unknown since hundreds of blacks and Asians

SPAIN

The arrest and then the release on bail a week later of Santiago Carillo and seven other leading members of the Spanish Communist Party IS part of a much bigger political cat and mouse game through which the Suarez regime and the CP leaders are both strug- gling in their own way to keep Franco's Spain safe for capital- ism. The arrest of Carillo, is an illus- tration of the undiminished politic- Franco's repressiveness of 'reformist" successors. Like the other political all arrests which are still a daily occur- rence in Spain, it reemphasises the demand morance complete amnesty and the legalis- ation of all political parties.

Carillo's political prominence not only prompted a new wave of demonstrations militant in every Spanish city around these demands; it also led to a chorus of protest from international reformist and Stalinist who dignitaries nave managed to remain relatively silent about the many hundreds of other recent political arrests.

EMBARASSMENT

This, of course, has created a certain for the regime, anxious to have its "democratic" credentials accepted. arrests, however, have positive side both for the regime the Communist Party. embarassing Carillo be may captive; but his detention helped the Suarez government at a crucial moment lo deluse an outourst ol opposition on its ultra-right flank he Falangist had Dunker exploited the regime's failure to rescue the President of the Council • have simply "disappeared".

In the last two weeks about 100 under the people detained infamously repressive Internal Security Act (the successor to the Suppression Communism Act) OI have been "freed" The most prominent of them, however, including Winnie Mandela, have been immediately subjected to "banning" orders which mean they effectively under house arrest. New political arrests and new of State (Antonio Maria Oriol) from left-wing kidnappers demand- ing the release of political prisoners and pointed the dangers to fascism of political "reformism".

occasion the Cortes president Fernandez Miranda had to be physically protected from Falangist demonstrators shouting "Traitor" C'arito On December 23rd Suarez and Interior Minister Martin Villa seized the their opportunity given by success in capturing Carillo to dismiss the chiefs of the three police against whom hun- forces dreds of members of the police had demonstrated a few days earlier.

These dismissals were presented as the beginning of a modernisation •liberalisation of the security and system. In fact all the regime has replace the existing Gone chiefs with others they expect be more directly subordinate to the government. The regime has also wound up the Public Order Court, which normally tried political offences The charges against Carillo and the other Cl leaders (holding office in an illegal organisation) will now be heard in the ordinary courts where SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 5th January, 1977 police murders go on. But 1976 will be seen as the year in which the bloody struggle to end South Africa's racist dictatorship entered its final and decisive phase.

Now is the moment to redouble the fight in the British labour move- ment Labour govern- to' end the ment's shameful collaboration with Vorster's regime and to give the maximum material support to the fighters for black liberation throughout Southern Africa.

The Vorster Government

CAT & MOUSE

GAME GOES ON

it will be easier for the regime to the keep tactical control over progress of the case. Whether or not the CP actually invited the arrests, they have made it more difficult for other parties of the class-collaborationist opposition (the Socialists and Christian Demo- crats) to proceed with the planned negotiations with the fascist govern- ment over the heads of the CP The CP itself gives full support to the treacherous policy of negotiatinea pact with the with the Suarez regime; to be included in the pact and to have at least the same semi-legality as the Socialist Party. The arrests have also diverted attention from the failure of some the CP to give any effective lead to the Spanish working class in last month's referendum. The CP refused to mount any major campaign in support of its declared policy of abstention.

The result was a high poll (75%) and an for 'yes? vote the fake 'democratisation general Walco Involve election within a few months.

It was a striking feature of the results that in Euskadi, the one area where the opposition parties gave a lead on the question of abstention.

the level of abstentions was around 50% of the electorate: The CP's conduct in the refer- endum is a guide to the whole unprincipled

CODOR CHI

scheme of its leaders to build a

COLON

with the ruling class and crushi the of growing forces working class revolution.

While Carillo manoeuvres to conceal the lesson of the arrests; it will not be lost on the thousands of militants from all workers' parties who faced smoke baton charges, bombs and rubber bullets while demonstrating for the CP leader's release.

SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 5th January, 1977 Saudi Arabia produces so oil much that, for few months least, it at can probably keep the most recent oil price increase down to 5% and break the majority OPEC plan for a 10% rise. Its decision, Oil Minister Sheik Yamani said, was taken to help the economic problems Britain, France and Italy and so help fore- stall Communist Party participation the governments of the latter two countries. The motives for Libyan Presi- dent Gadaffi's decision to pour £250 million of much needed capital Fiat, Italy's money into major manufacturing company are more complex. The deal gives the government of Libya ONCe Italy s colony) 10% of Fiat's shares, but evidently a much larger share of control than this.

LIBYA

Though Saudi Arabia has already bought up sections of major capital- ist corporations in West Germany, the Fiat deal is Libya's first move in this direction. Up to now Gadaffi has preferred take stakes in finance capital operations, such as the powerIu Union of Arab and French Banks, wnich are speculative Euro-currency markets.

In this enterprise Gadaffi's state bank operates in a consortium with the Midland Bank. To Gadaffi least such at activities do not seem inconsistent with his policy of "Arab socialism".

In Libya itself, this policy consists of combination of nationalised or partly nationalised and the generous encouragement Libyan capitalists. Michael Manley's ruling "socialist" People's National Party (PNP) won 48 out of the 60 seats in Jamaica's mid- December general election.

This landslide victory followed months of political violence initiated by Edward Seaga's right- wing Jamaica Labour probably helped by veteran stabilizer" Norman Descoteaux (Philip Agee has revealed) arrived to head the CIA mission last December. The Financial Times, like other capitalist the papers, presented straight choice between a capitalist or a socialist adminstration There is certainly no doubt that, its links Busta- despile witn ine mente Industrial Trade Union, the Labour Party is the party of the banks, capitalists and landowners.

FOUNDATION

In this respect it has changed little since its foundation by Sir Alexander 1943 Bustamente after political split with his cousin Norman Manley. Manley at that time was the leading figure of both the PNP and the trade union federation later to become the TUC. In 1952 Manley expelled the "left" and established the National Workers' Union which is now the PNP's trade union base. It was in this split that today's Prime Minister, Michael Manley. cut his sharp political teeth As budding trade union bureaucrat he became the leading hatchet man in the merciless cam paign political destruction

OILING THE WHEELS

OF CAPITALISM

workers Libyan benefit from "welfare various state" schemes which do not the tens go ot of foreign migrant workers who suffer appalling hard- ships. The Arab Socialist Union is the "party"; it only legal political really massive public more relations enterprise. The formation of independent workers' parties or trade unions is punishable by death.

"MIDDLE ROAD"

Gadaffi's stated aim, like that of many ucmagogucs, is a madle road' between capitalism and com- munism. His socialism, he admits, owes to Mohammed than to Marx more and his regime pursues a fundam- entalist Islamic line. consistency, however, Gadaffi's. otherwise erratic foreign policy has been his support for the Palestine Liberation move.

ment. It is for this reason that imper- Gadaffi

JAMAICA: "SOCIALIST'

GOVERNMENT RETURNED

launched by his father's right wing leadership clique against the rebel left-wing of the movement.

Manly ant imperialises

PNP

today describes itself and "democratic socialist". But the international links most assiduous- ly cultivated by the PNP are not the publicised diplomatic and with Castro's Cuba but those with the "Socialist International" led by Callaghan, Schmidt, Soares and their coterie of traitors to the working class.

COMMON

Jamaica's "socialist" programme over the last four years has a lot in common with the policies of these other so-called "socialists".

Manley has revoked the infamous strike-breaking Essential Services Law and Masters date Servants Act; but he has replaced it with the Relations and

LA DOWN

Arbitration Act and the Termin- ation of Employment Act which impose controls on unions remin- iscent of Barbara Castle's proposed "reforms" of 1969. this legislation gives some new rights to strike in the public services, it still defines some strikes as illegal and authorises fines on workers involved in them. Manley "nationalised" sections of the sugar and bauxite оге) industries, the mainstays of Jamaica's economy.

COMPENSATION

But "nationalisation" (similar that in Zambia and other countries) takes the : 10rm 0I 31- ownership with full

ZO CHICHE

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

trusted vents in the the worst the Arab world, such as Sadat in Egypt, have made attempts repeated to sponsor right-wing coup to unseat Gadaffi.

He evidently feels that the lever- age to be gained by financial deals major capitalists is a better guarantee against this than the strengthening of the mass move- ment in Libya. The deal with Fiat has already sparked off an important industrial dispute in Italy. Since the deal, Turin's daily La Stampa, newspaper always owned Fiat's Agnelli family by through a holding company, has been brought directly into the main Fiat company. This plan was never mentioned to the workers on the newspaper.

CONDITION

Journalists and editorial staff protest that this was a condition by imposed Gadaffi in order to editorial the newspaper. Even before he owned any of it Gadaffi made demands for dismissal of the editor for implicit- ly criticising his policy.

At least Gadaffi can rely one newspaper to support him, no what. References to him in matter the Newsline, daily paper of the "Trotskyist" Workers ary Party are never less than un- critical. "own reporter" at a giant Their rally in Tripoli last September was carried away of dil adulation. But how it is that the man the Newsline implies is the architect of permanent revolution in Libya can be a financial capitalist in Paris and London and an industrial capitalist Turin 1n yet been ILaS explained. and generous compensation to the who continue to manage the firms on well-paid contracts. All this very far from Miçhael Manley himself socialism. remains as much an obstacle to socialism in Jamaica as he did in 1952. It is not fears of what he wants Manley do which have prompted the CIA's "destabilisation" plans.

What the US is afraid of are the of Jamaican workers and peasants who voted for the PNP.

In massive demonstrations they applauded Manley's increasingly anti-imperialist words and will now be expecting them to be translated into some sort of action to put an end to pitifully low wages, ghetto ho'sing conditions, 25% unemploy- ment and the oppression of Jamaica by imperialism. Page 3 'Oil refinery in Saudi Arabia

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 Party. In the daily struggle to take the demands and principles of Trotsky's Transitional Programme into the trade unions, the WSL has been at the forefront of the fight for the sliding scaie of wages, and work sharing on full pay - demands which at the 1975 T&GWU Conference were the pay cure a is Ready i emand for being me a d pay cutting deal with (rising according to the rising cost of living as assessed by trade union committees) is the essential basis of consistent opposition.

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

In London this policy has already day action against the closure of the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Hospita when 2,000 hospital workers in the area struck and 400 marched to obby MPs against the cuts In local disputes also, WL comrades have tested and developed th demands of the Transitional Programme, putting forward in every case At the same unemployment, calling for unity of employed and unemployed throug he fight to mobilise the trade union movement The

WSL

fights consistently transitional demands, going beyond mere trade union militancy to pose the political issues to workers.

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 struggie tor 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 Transitional Programme, there has been a consistent drive to deepen and enrich the movement's understanding of the history and the present crisis of the Trotskyist Fourth International, as an essential part of any serious initiative towards its reconstruction.

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

FIGHT FOR UNIONS

lege 4 At hotels in Sheffield. Oxford and London bitter struggles are now taking place for union organisation. In each case workers are finding themselves confronted by viciously anti-union employer, yet have received next to no active backing from supposedly officials union "organising" hotel and the catering industry. Despite these obstacles the strikers, spurred on by the need to fight the rock bottom feudal working and wages conditions throughout the industry, have given an indic- and ation the tenacity militancy developing within the working class. In this special feature we hand accounts of carry first these disputes, two of which are against a common enemy Houses the giant Trust Forte of companies group the Randolph which own Oxford and the Hotel in Grosvenor House in Sheffield.

Randolph Oxford 'Socialist Press' interviews Margaret Radbourne, T&GWU shop steward How did the present dispute begin?

There was continual pressure which began from September when the first worker in the hotel joined the They suddenly started giving out contracts of employ- ment. Then one Monday at the end of November the chamber maids had decided to attend a union meeting in working time They said we'd get the sack if we we decided to go any- went; but way. On the Friday the manager.

called four of the chambermaids into madelice and sat theys they made redundant unless they were prepared to work weekends.

On Mondav _ asked him to with- draw the notices. He refused so I him called Geoff Hewlett and told we were coming out on strike. That was 11.30 on the Monday. Hie went round the corner and had a meeting in the cafe and on Tuesday morning we started picket- ing. What were the demands of the strikers? of all. union recognition.

of the sacked teinstatement Forkers they'd sacked all those =so rama out - and negotiation on Pay and conditions. Wzar are conditions like?

•zes me fest started work

HOTEL WORKERS

THE RANDOLPH HOTE

cleaning in May there were no They equipment. materials didn't even own a duster; you had to take your own. All you got was an overall you had to sign for.

And The pay is 75p an hour. they're dreadful payers. Sometimes you have to wait three weeks for what you're entitled to. clean 16 We used to have to bedrooms but since we joined the union we said "ten and ten only'.

What effect has the picket had?

It's had a really big effect. We've stopped nearly all goods going in.

Only a tew scab vans now come They're having to hire vans to fetch everything. drivers in the T&G Transport The Post picket. won't cross the Office workers don't deliver mail. The other evening they called the Rentokil people out of bed.

But when they arrived they cross the picket. They said they knew it was bad for mice and cockroaches but they wouldn't cross. What abour the effect on the customers? We've had a good effect on most people, especially Australias: The: Americans and seem only too keer ":*.* where else 23+ = == 2 enormous effect or is :_

NTON LODGE

STRIKE COMMITTEE

TEGWU.5/670

Over the holiday they ve been the only hotel in Oxford with free rooms. On Christmas Day it was the fully which wasn't only booked for lunch. But I reckon we're having most on the workers in there. effect They hate us being there. They get quite abusive and niggly.

of There have been plenty threats and two pickets have been beaten up, one quite badly.

Who has supported you on the picket? Students, car workers. We've had schoolteachers and some nurses, unemployed workers. Some And of the Simon hostel. a lot people have given to the strike fund. £20 We got about over Christmas. Some Americans gave us £10. And others bring food and drink; we get soup every day from Blackfriars. And what about the officials of the

T&GWU?

they haven't given enough No, They were going to pull support. out the Gardner Merchant girls in the factory canteen. But they kept putting it off and putting it off. They were all ready to come out. They were down on the picket and said they were just waiting for une call But all the officials did was to blacking which call for the useless. Five minutes on the picket line done. They they've ever is all haven't got the time they say. They sav we're not their only members.

But we're the ones in trouble.

What towards winding the struggle!

should the next step What we're trying to push for is to black all Trust House Forte and their subsidiaries. And strike action by all T&G Trust members at House Forte. that Until we were not to hit them hard enough. going That demand was passed at our We branch meeting. also demanded an emergency meeting of Oxford District Committee of the T&GWL. alise Ta

T&GWL

SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday Sth January, 1977 Grosvenor Sheffield The second Trust Houses Forte hotel to take on the T&GWU: an on the spot report on the strike.

GROSVENOR HOUSE

OVER FIFTY WORKERS at the Grosvenor House Hotel in Sheffield (all members of the T&GWU) have been out on strike for three now weeks after months of negotiations with management produced only a flat refusal to recognise the union.

Right from the start top Houses Forte directors of stepped in to fight this dispute as part of their national fight against unionisation.

"TRAINEES"

On the first day all the strikers were dismissed and a coachload of managers" brought in as scab labour. Since then pickets working long sub-zero conditions have hours in stopped the great majority deliveries and many customers.

In response to the lead given House, workers at Grosvenor other hotels have begun applying to Bin the BC about a swift bring victory the action must be stepped prevent goods up and spread being smuggled in via other Trust Houses Forte subsidiaries.

a strike com- As Trevor Jones. mittee member, told Socialist Press: 'We should have mass brought ap want this We pIcKets. the Trades Council. And we on want national blacking of THF and

T&GWU

must call its subsidiaries because we feel this national black of all Trust is the only way we can House Forte hotels and battle, since they've got so many subsidiaries! hotels realise THF must be made to taking the

T&GWU

they're few members in Sheffied st nationally Linton Lodge Oxford "Socialist Press' interview with Joseph Tosti, T&GWU shop steward. hotel? What was the origin of your strike?

We had asked the manager for a The manager has admitted losing At the €4,000. We have turned away lots of employment. of customers. Some of them have beginning of November the owner, sympathetic especially Mr Levi, came to discuss it with us been very and agreed we'd have contracts by when we show them the letter of the time he returned from America Through the picket we've stop- on December 1st. ped most of the usual deliveries At this time the union didn't the baker, the milk, the post office, come into it. But we were going to start a union anyway. People were the swill bin collectors. and the rubbish collectors. always moaning. that was it They don't cross the picket. The Transoort House and Youve got the smal suppliers. They We rushed it up a bit to be in a brewers don't deliver either.

to get a better position

DELICIN

just don't want to know. But for contract. It was on the 15th we told them most things the management now have to hire a van and go and get we were in the union. Two days later two of us were handed our the stuff themselves. notice by the manager who said we hadn't settled in the hotel!

What support have you had on the see Hewlett in picket line? we went to Transport House. He asked the Mainly students, including from Ruskin College. Workers as well withdraw the notices. manager to He just said "Talk to my solicitor.

But not sent by their union. sacked a They've come of their own accord.

By that time he had went to chambermaid and was telling every- We the meeting of the or lose Trades Council. in the union to qull 011c their job. So at that point the union They said they would organise a declared the strike. but picket among the unions, Sixteen out of the 29 workers in nothing has come nack. lut only All the strikers thing they did was to organise the the hotel came out. were then dismissed for taking part March on December lith in the strike. That's when the management All we have been demanding is took tie opportunis lo uisconnec recognition the electricity and the telephone.

reinstatement. union and contract of taiks about our employment. That's all Then they threw you out of your lodgings? Yes. A: 5 ari or the 1óth. Die

LOST £4.000

rad a summons to appear at the Her Cout i London on the 10tb How has the strike affected the

RECALL WAGES CONFERENCE

SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday Sth January, 1977 Aquatels Basildon A letter from the secretary of the London Hotels (3) G&MWU Branch gives us background information to a recognition struggle. Strike action continues into of the company's London one hotels countered by the its eleventh week at the London who instructed steward Aquatels Leisure Centre in his members to refuse to handle it.

Basildon, despite the solid He stuck to this correct position refusal of G&MWU officials to despite an instruction from Romp that the Basildon strike was nothing give the slighest backing to the to do with him, and that he should strikers. load the vans. Their position summed up

HELD BACK

1324 the from the cynical reply

G&MWU

recruiting officer, Mr. While Basildon Trades Council Tilston, who when questioned by has offered full support, this too the Secretary of the London Hotels has been held back by the position (3) Branch them out on strike and clear off Bet simo v replied GMWU officials, oI Ine wu late made no approach to other unions More action has been forthcom- for a full scale blacking action, from the

G&MWU

• Regional any attempt to broaden the strike Officer - a Mr Romp. He at least with the company. has contacted the strikers since the dispute began. G. Bennett,

NOMICLAY

NO ASSISTANCE

London Hotels (3) GMWU However his telephone call to

OUR COMMENT.

the strike leader Bill Naylor was Aquatels dispute, like the The but to not to offer any assistance, Oxford and hotel struggles tell him off for putting G&MWU Sheffield, highlights the completely members the nearby arrogant and reactionary attitude of Centre Hotel "at risk" by asking the union bureaucracy, who simply them not to cross the picket line!

workers "You members", regard may lose me entering the unions as intruders complained a worried Mr. Romp. disrupt their own Strikers have also learned they threatening long-established cosy relations with aH. Robertson nearly received visit from local employers. Regional Secretary The determination of these JP. He set out, they were told, but workers to fight is proved by the - because "the had to turn back fact that they continue to defy all weather was bad"! obstacles and press forward with This was interesting news for the their action. strikers, who have been manning a We call on all workers in the 15-hours-a-day picket since the London area to move for financial dispute began. for assistance on the Despite these officials there have support, picket and resolutions lines, been moves support In demanding the G&MWU leadership from

G&MWU

strikers other give full and active backing to this members. An attempt to smuggle important dispute. beer into the Essex Centre Hotel via

BINGO VICTORY

Encouragement to embat-

KIRGO

tled hotel strikers should be of drawn from the victory women workers at Club One Bingo Halls in Coventry. After eleven long weeks on strike, maintaining consistent picketing, the strikers have won recognition both OI T&GWU and NATKE as unions to represent them. The winning of recognition now opens the door for the women to press their demands for improved wages and conditions, and 1S major step forward in the fight for unionisation of low-paid labour in the town. Transport House. about the management recovering When we took it the staff accommodation. down there the place was locked.

The date of the hearing had been by advanced four judges weeks 'The caretaker wouldn't give us order. So we had only two days to the key without the authority of case. We got legal repres- prepare a Hewlett Buckle entation through Transport House unavailable. in London but they lost the case.

At our emergency union branch meeting we passed a resolution for district committee How has the management reacted emergency meeting to try to get wider support to the picket? The attitude of some of the from the district. We're also trying to get the MP, commit himself on the Year's Luard, to New haven't heard but we manager threatened some of us question with a tile. But he didn't throw it.

anything yet. He was trying to intimidate us.

What help do need pickets you Altogether oi the have been arrested. One case has immediately? The picket is the main issue. We already been dismissed for lack of want more pickets to try and harass evidence and the others come up in much a few days. management

TAMP

possible. The Trades Council has organ- heard that the ised defence for them. And Because we've staff inside the hotel are getting fed Student Trade Union Liason Com- mittee has been and thinking of leaving. putting together up are They've hardly been out since the the evidence for the defence.

strike started. It's like a prison.

How much help have you had from the union officials? How the much are management Trust From the T&GWU, besides the colluding with the Forte management? in the High Court, all we've got so far is money We've only got hearsay. But told that the manager and a lot of talk - words galore, we've been about declaring war on the catering is on the phone almost every day to industry and showing them the the Randolph and House muscle of the unions. Forte. We haven't seen much of it so And of course the Randolph manager is in close touch with the far. we were evicted The day of the Grosvenor House we manager were supposed to store our stuff in in Sheffield. A recall Conference Wage Control and Union Democracy is to be convened on March 27th by the ad-hoc Campaign for Democracy in the Labour Movement. This was decided at a meeting of the campaign's organising commit- held Birmingham tee on December 18th, which also adopted a policy statement on the struggle against wage control, the cuts and unemployment as the Committee's resolution to the recall Conference.

Last October the first Confer- ence attracted nearly 300 delegates and visitors Digbeth Hall, Birmingham. A Defence Committee has recently been set up in Isling- ton, North London, in support of 18 black youths now facing High Court trial for 'conspir- acy to rob'. Their trial follows a series of major police attacks on blacks in recent years: the Brockwell Park, Hornsey, Carib Club, Chapeltown (Leeds) and Harlesden followed group arrests and one of the main charges used was 'causing an attray The fraudulence of campaigns against "mugging' is exposed by the police case against the Islington 18.

Rees "One Year on from SDA - Rights" Rally for Women's Saturday February 26th at 11 am. at Alexandra Palace.

This rally, initiated by the Women's Working Charter no reton MPs and burdess list MPs and bureaucrats, concludes that only correctly militant action will achieve equal pay and points to the example of last year's victorious Trico strikers who steadfastly refused to entertain any illusions in tribunals.

However the manoeuvrings of the IMG and their conception of This support significant was a indication of the growing hostility within the workers movement to wage control policed by the TUC bureaucracy. This resistance had broken out during the campaign for the first Conference in the form of the Sea- men's vote for strike action has continued since with pay the component industry and in Fleet Street.

can only further Soaring prices stoke up this pressure for wages in the working class, and bring right to the centre of workers' attention the necessity. for a struggle to end at once all forms of wage control, and substantial catching win up claims tied to automatic rises

FREE JAILED YOUTHS

The 13 charges are ridiculously vague. for example, six of the youths, the month" of October 1976 (out- side the Nightingale Youth Club, Wood N22) did Green rob woman unknown of a handbag and

UNKNOWN

One main charge is that the youths "between 21st August and 21st October 1976 in the Greater London area conspired together and with to commit robberies.' Ihe arrests were made over a week period at the end of two October the charges were concocted out of statements made by the youths about their own and their friends' activities.

At least one youth has. stated that he was made to sign a state- ment he did not make. The fact that parents were not allowed to see their children for several days after their arrests adds strength to the allegations that they were put under extreme pressure.

INVESTIGATION

The Defence Committee demands an investigation into the behaviour of the police including the violent way in which the arrests were made and the houses of the •ПАПРАТ АТАМ ПАЛАЮ?

WOMEN'S RIGHTS RALLY DUCKS ISSUES

"united front" with the action Communist Party and 'left' bureau- the crats have left rally totally bereft of any fighting policy for workers against problems of low pay, unemployment and the cuts in social services. resolution to December's Committee Rally Planning proposed by Celia Pugh of the IMG and carried, states that: 'The leaflet that is sent out by the Planning Committee reflects the basis on which that committee has been set up, that is to organise a rally around the inadequacies of the SDA and EPA and therefore does Part of the 300-strong October wages conference keep pace with the cost of living.

which gave its Socialist Press, full support to the first Conference, calls now on all readers and sup porters to campaign to make this recall Conference an even bigger and more representative meeting of all those militants prepared to take up the struggle for an alternative programme against the treacherous defended by the social contract Labour and TUC bureaucrats.

We will carry the full text of the statement for the Conference in our next issue. Enquiries about the Conference and requests for copies of the statement should be sent to Secretary, the Conference Kevin Lee, 44, Devonshire Road, Handsworth Wood, Birmingham 20.

why bai They want to know was not granted. even when the youths' employers, (most of then either still employed or school) prepared to testify were and stand bail. In Islington, the Defence Com the police attack: mittee against already has, of course, the strong of relatives of the 18 support youths. But it must reach out to the mass of youth in the area and take its campaign into the local labou and call for delegates from youth and workers' organ isations. Thus it can add strength to the fight to root out the local bureau crats who refuse to lead a struggle the right-wing policies of against the Labour government. It should also the following take up demands: *Home Secretary Rees must end police brutality and harassment for local labour movement enquiry into the actions of the police! *No cuts - expansion of youth provision and housing and improve- ment of schools to meet youth's needs! *More jobs - for an increase in Labour Force the Direct and of public works programme create jobs at proper union rates for youth! not take a position on the sociat contract and the role of the present leadership of the working class.

While members and we urge of question readers to raise the support for the Rally in their union branches we emphasise that the struggle for women's rights inseparable from the fight against the social contract and the cuts and inseparable from the struggle for new leadership in the working class.

For further information about Secretary, the Rally the contact Mandy Snell, 33, Wemyss Rd. London SE3.

PROBLEMS OF AN ARTIST

UNDER

STALINISM

Dimitri Shostakovitch, who probably enjoyed the has international greatest repu- tation of any composer in the forty chose to last years, spend the whole of his work- in a non-capitalist ing career country. He saw himself as a communist Since the Revolution, composer. Soviet many composers the Union have enjoyed certain advan- tages which would not be available in other countries. They can devote themselves entirely to their creative without needing to teach,

WOIK,

do copying write criticisms, other hack work, in order to live.

STATE

But in return, the state has made certain demands, which may conflict with the artist's own Trotsky expressed the dangers of the State meddling in the sphere of In his Manifesto artistic creativity. Towards a Free Revolutionary Art (Autumn, 1938) he wrote: "If, for the better development of the forces of material produc- the revolution must build a tion, centralised socialist regime with develop controi Intenectual anarchist regime creation should first be malvedal noelly established. dictation, not No authority, no ¡the last trace of orders from above!

Only on a base of friendly ation, without constraint from out- side, will it be possibie for scholars carry out their tasks,

HELLO LU

which will be more far-reaching than ever before in history.

Trotsky form- Earlier, in 1924, ulated a policy towards the various and tendencies:

HIOUUD

there should be complete freedom in the sphere of artistic self-deter- mination, the only criterion being that the artist should be for the revolution and not against it.

EXPERIMENTATION

Soon after the Revolution there was an explosion of artistic activity and experimentation. . This reflected the fact that, in Trotsky's words: "The popular masses were still every fibre, and were quivering in thinking aloud for the first time in a thousand years. he pointed out (in Nevertheless, a speech on Class and Art in 1924) by its very nature, artistic that creativity lags behind other modes of expression and still more behind

SHOSTAKOVITCH:

by Peter Alyson the spirit of a class - it is one thing to understand a thing and express it logically; another to Is gulle assimilate it organically.

Shostakovitch's First Symphony illustrates this 1926 point. Its clear and simple style and early mastery of orchestration gave the work an immediate and lasting impact.

NO REFLECTION

Nevertheless, it could have been the product of any competent com- in the poser from any country western capitalist world: in no way did it reflect the society to which its composer belonged. Trotsky that pointed out state has a strictly trans- workers' itional character; culture will still be tied to the past. dictatorship of the prolet- The ariat will, of necessity, lay severe limitations all forms of upon activity and he explained that in the programme of the revolution these limitations were regarded as a temporary evil. If the main factors making this its first sumphony success simple themes and style - were to "temporary evil", they were be a necessity in imposing certainly discipline and order. was natural that the youth- ful Shostakovitch would reflect the of the vigour and aspirations and his Second Revolution, Symphony (performed aspirations were inere. ine final chorus begins: 'We marched, we asked for and bread our hearts gripped by pain and grief - The factory chimneys were stretched to the sky - Like nanos loo weak l clench a fist ...Lenin! Our destiny is FIGHT". And the work ended with the chorus, not singing but declaiming: "October, The Commune, Lenin". "The First Third Symphony, which the of May", followed endeavoured to express composer the joy of May Day experienced by the world-wide working class. How- ever Shostakovitch was not yet able to do justice to the grandeur of the events ne was descriomg example of Partly this was an Trotsky's observation that: "The political writing of a class while its hastens ahead on stilts, hobbles along artistic creativity behind on crutches". But already the Stalinist venom the cultural bloods- had entered stream or ne over omen

CHEB

НА САЖЬ СВОБОД that the Trotsky had argued culture should be

DANCEON

replaced by a socialist, not a prol- etarian one, which retains traces of class oppression. and Bukharin, however, Stalin countered that the progress towards cultural socialism would develop with a "tortoise pace" and that the would have decades proletariat class which develop Cullulc.

ROUTINE

marches, As a result, routine written by and dances

SUILED

of of the Association Proletarian Musicians were the only styles to enjoy official favour.

Trotsky commented: "The present ruling

ALTALL

considers itself called not only control spiritual creation politically to prescribe its roads of but aiso The method of com- development. appeal extends in mand without like measure to the concentration camps, to scientific agriculture and To musIc. The central organ of the party directive prints anonymous editorials, having the character of in architecture, military orders, dramatic art, the ballet, literature, philosophy, say nothing natural science and history.

The bureaucracy superstitiously fears whatever does not directly as well as whatever it does not understand." Official edicts became ever more ludicrous, until even Tchaikovsky deplorable denigrated was Eventually, deviation. bourgeois however, in a new twist of policy, the pathetic attempts of the prolet- movements came arian. art to an end by 1932, when it was claimed had already that the country "Socialist entered socialism. became the only realism' SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday Sth January, 1977 watch the flogging, Forced to poisons her father-in-law.

Katerina Her moron husband learns next of the affair and is killed by Sergei in a fight. are arrested and The couple whilst on the road to Siberia, Sergei flirtation with another begins a prisoner. Humiliated and in despair, Katerina pushes her rival into a lake In his modified version of the decided story Shostakovitch Katerina from Leskov's transform squalid, selfish criminal into a much character ictim of her their ment and of softer, the people surrounding her.

means to Using only musical bring this about, the transformation successful; te mater he musical language wrote later, of the whole opera is intended to Katerina" was my problem as a composer to lay bare the inner workings of every charac- ter.

PRETENCE

The lyrics of Sergei are insincere and theatrical; his sufferings are all Through his air of slick pretence. haberdasher oozes the future kulak who, if he had not been sentenced to hard labour, would have become a merchant exploiter." unsympathetic of

HACT

caricatured in characters music in his own particular way to be as much a victim of his own would circumstances as victim - the whole opera spotlight- ing the corruption of an idle, over- rich bourgeois household one character, Katerina, is Only given sincere, and as ines opera proceeds, increasingly sympathetic and warm music. Stalin and Bukharin Audiences in the Soviet Union and appreciated Lady abroad Mtsensk packed Macbeth OI houses, and it was a complete and ВооружЕніЕ immediate success. influential critic Boris ДАЗДРИВСТАЬ The Asafiev wrote: НИТЕРНАЦІОНА "The character of Katerina is drawn with great sympathy - 1t valuable quality adds Shostakovitch's music of warmth, femininity and tenderness"; ; and it was hailed as a model of the new Soviet art - one to be studied and imitated by other composers.

In 1936, a year in which Stalin's campaign of political terror reached the government issued a famous decree condemning and individualsim music. Its content was much like earlier instructions from the Party but its language had a new virulent tone.

The opera Lady Macbeth in partic- ular, was savagely attacked and was banished from the stage for nearly thirty years. The has often been question why this particular work?

asked May Day 1917 It particularly offended the bureau- Shostakovitch's musical develop- by oppositon to the cracy ment during this growth of bureau-

CIEN

The bureau- oppression of women. repression interesting. Sometimes, he struggled, as did Russian notable most other to follow the official composers, line, but inspiration and individual- ity in a genuine artist are difficult 1935, to suppress. In working on interview given wit his Fourth Symphony he said: "I am not afraid of difficulties.

It is perhaps easier, and certainly safer, to follow a beaten path, but also dull, uninteresting and it is futile". His battle with the official hier- archy had already begun in 1930 when his satirical opera The Nose was the subject of a carping attack in the newspapers - described as a product of bourgeois decadence performances of it were suppressed.

Len

OPERATIC

cracy in its struggle to enforce its sought Macbeth of

TOOLUIC

1934 Lady power bourgeois tamily, in willck women Mtsensk, the first of a projected endured a subordinate position dealing with operatic tetralogy It was for this reason that many number of Russian woman of the gains, like the right to free historical and social situations, was enjoyed abortion, which produced. October immediately after Tae The opera was based on a story revolution were withdrawn.

by Leskov, of which Shostakovitch As Trotsky wrote: "The most compelling motive "Perhaps there is not in the for the present cult of the family is whole of Russian literature another undoubtedly the need work portraying the position of a bureaucracy for a stable hierarchy times more vividly pre-revolutionary woman in of relations and for the disciplining of youth by means of 40 million decided Nevertheless, he points of support for authority and "in order to treat the modify it power." subject from the Soviet point of onwards time view, while keeping the strength of trom was in continuous Shostakovitch Leskov's original tale." conflict with the bureaucracy. His In this amended version of the Fourth Symphony Katerina great sprawling the heroine, story, was withdrawn before receiving its merchant's Ismailova, wile, first performance and he was forced attracted out of boredom to Sergei,* into an abject compromise with the a brutal employee of her husband's.

show Fifth Symphony Her lecherous and gluttonous "A subtitle Soviet trial worded father-in-law discovers the altal Artist's Reply to Just Criticism" and flogs Sergei to unconsciousness.

SYNDICALISM AND THE

BRITISH WORKING CLASS

Review of "British Syndicalism 1900-1914: Myths and Realities" by B. Holton, Published by Pluto Press at £2.95.

The Seventh Symphony was written firewatching during the terrifying conditions Siege of Leningrad. written the nationalistic demands of the bureaucracy, the fell below Shostakovitch's best standards, invariably had to make happened when he accomodations of this kind.

WITH-HELD

and Ninth His Eighth Symphonies were attacked and his Concerto was witheld First Violin for several years. Kruschev During

SIDEL

"thaw" the rourth Symphony and The word 'syndicalism' is Lady Macbeth, renamed Katerina often used in the working class Ismailova, But, reanpeared but less often movement, 1962, Shostakovitch still offended understood. the authorities with his Thirteenth Symphony, which used poems by It is thus of some value to have describes its Yevtushenko. at last a book that As composer uses main doctrines and the chief forms

SOUN

as d words, meanings become explicit that syndicalism took in the period protest anti- iust before the First World war, the first Semitism of "Babi Yar" when it was a distinct and organised poem, went against the official line.

tendency the British working 1n We intend in this article to give an account of the background of the this movement and some great struggles that gave birth to it.

In our next issue we will analyse the theories of syndicalism and the views about it presented in Holton's book. The syndicalist movement was part of the twin crisis of the imper- ialist and working class system that culminated in the First slaughter of millions in the Imperialist War in 1914. represented the Syndicalism resistance of the working class to the growing drive directed against Shostakovitch them by crisis-ridden imperialism in Once again of rationalisation and showed his concern at women's speed-up. society, Soviet using a •aCe workers poem "At the Store": time. our honour confronted their bureaucratic union They have mixed who had established their and judgement, leaders - a period of positions in capitalist harvest They have plowed land, reaped the endured every- growth and boom - to fight at ali in their interests. thing and will endure everything.

do Syndicalism represented there- the strength Theirs anything." stage the fore development of workers' But these same women are given particular view of how they short-change and short-weight.

The 00 a should be fought. at the petty poem pomled "Genius will conquer bureaucrats regardless Those against wno sanacieu these great [Shakespeare, Tolstoy| are now Ta мерт. it is their victims who forgotten are remembered" During the last 12 years of his relatively life Shostakovitch unmolested, protecled

SO C

extent by his immense international reputation. If open criticism of the then was difficult, retreated into a language of musical He used the notes code messages. corresponding to the letters of his own name - D S C H - when seem make a personal to WElL comment. with the Bolshevik Central Committee At times he quoted well-known works by other composers and his Fifteenth Symphony Proce with a quotation from own maligned Fourth Symphony, a wry way of having the last word.

y hen Lady Macdern was Iesul- changes were made. rected Interestingly, he inserted a single extra line into the song of the old his way to Siberia, convict on "Oh, why is this adding the words, life of ours so dark and fearful. Is man really born for such a life?"

whilst the music hints at a phrase from Mahler's Song of the Earth, Drinking Song fo the Earth's Misery". Shostakovitch never Though explicitly political resis- made any tance to Stalinism, and though on many occasions he cowered before the instructions of the bureaucracy, shows that art cannot be created by bureaucratic.

decrees but is forced at times to develop through a struggle against growing trade unions. them. Despite the argument in this book that it was 'no alien import it specifically British was not but phenomenon, part

LIEC

response of workers throughout the world to one phase of capitalist offensive. of the values of Holton's One book is that it provides a reminder of strength and intensity workers' struggles in Britain in the years immediately before the great sellout at the beginning of the war in 1914.

MASS PICKETING

This was a period of mass picket- solidarity action, Ing, widespread violent confrontation with black- police, and the legs, soldlers and time after time, of rejection, bargains made by the trade union leaders. Is a forgotten now in talk of "traditions of democratic compromise and it is well worth recall- Britain, ing some of the episodes from these days as a reminder of the sharpness of class conflict that always lies just beneath the surface. In 1910-11, over 30,000 miners in South Wales went on strike for wages and in opposition io the old agreements by which wages were determined by profits of the employers. This was before miners could be once they struck, sure that mines would stop working.

places they attacked blacklegs and and managers, Tonypandy one

SILUL

The transport strike 1912—the first national strike organized by a union. The forerunner of the post-war huge strikes by the and a number of others dead injured during such a contron- The aims of this struggle were not achieved, but in future there was never the same problem in stopping the pits, and in 1912 the leaders of the Miners Federation of Great Britain were compelta to call a four-week strike on the issue of the minimum wage. This time there were no black- legs and little violence and the of miners number secureu important gains. By then many other important In the struggles had broken out. of 1912, 15,000 Hull summer dockers replied to proposed settlement of their wage claim with the call "Let's fire the docks"!

In Merseyside, there were new levels of solidarity action as rail- waymen fought their conciliation machinery with the support of dockers, seamen, tramway workers and many more.

BLOODY SUNDAY

Many strikers and their families were injured in a conitontalion Bloody with police Sunday, 13th August, and two days later, two men were shot dead when they to rescue those being hauled tried off to prison. Tom Mann, In this atmosphere, the syndicalist leader who was on the strike committee greeted a ship full of blacklegs with these words: "As for the scabs on board, the sooner they went to neaven or hel according to they were

BAR

By John Docherty fitted - the better for the most world." national railway During the strike that followed, strikers. only kept back Chesterfield were from tackling blacklegs by repeated charges from fifty soldiers.

At Llanelly, efforts to preven trains passing a level crossing resul ted in two deaths and many injurie not just of railway workers, unde the guns of the Worcester ant North Lancashire Regiment.

The explosion of an ammunitiot truck in the next week killed fou more. broke out big strike son aker When a Times August 1912 described one of the many violen conflicts between scabs and striker in this way: "Revolvers were fired on botl sides, large stones were thrown a ine men on ine sno ano dolle and other missiles flew about.

revolvers The sound of frequently heard." Soon afterwards on Tower Hill Ben Tillett made his famous cal regard the leadin, with employer: "God, Strike Lord Devenpor dead." Holton shows that the 'labou by unrest' no means came to a end after the London dock strike a right writers hav asserted. Struggles during 1913 and 191 were more local, but they were jus as intense In the strike of Leeds Corpor ation workers in 1913, strikers lai seige to electricity installations stil working, while the china cla Cornwall, there wer 1Od SkY confrontations betwee violent police and strikers. Dublin from late August t In early January 1914, one and a hal million working days were lost, 65 workers were imprisoned and fiv killed during the great lock-out o transport workers.

IRISH UNION

a trial of strengt with the Irish Transport an Workers of Jir General Union Larkin and James Connolly fightin for its very life against the Dubli Williar Federation Employers Martin Murphy. of this In the course struggle the trade union movemer fed and provided for thousands o workers and their families, nume ous sympathy strikes took plac Larki Britain and throughout drew enormous crowds to meetin on both sides of the Irish Sea He attacked the hesitant an unhelpful attitudes of the leaders c the TUC on one such occasion.

"A of the trad great many union leaders seemed to think the existed to apologise for capitalisn try to stop strikes and smoot difficulties over.' These sentiments extremely popular large meetings of workers, thoug not at the TUC This great strike wave carried o well into 1914. Building workers i London were locked out most of the year, rejecting settl ment after settlement proposed b the and the unio employers leaders. When a minor member of th Royal Family went lay of foundation stone produced building, a large demo stration of building heard to proclaim: "Three cheers for Social Revo boos blackleg ution, three for three boos for Royalty." and many othe This struggle that could have broken out at th point, historic treaghero an en historic treachery the leadership supporting that began in August 1914.

will sa mething not see we theories the

BEG ELANE

advanced workers in this period, ‹ the achievements and limits of th syndicalist outlook.

of the Individual in History" by Georgei Plekhanov, published by Lawrence and Wishart, 75p each.

Labour & Nationalisation Page 8 Georgi Valentinovich Plekhanov (1856-1918) has been justly described as the "Father of Russian Marxism".

one was Russian hearists ner Russian Marxists ation was one of the founders of the Geneva based Emancipation of Labour Group in 1883 (the Group was one of the organisations that fused together to form the Russian Labour Social-Democratic Party

(RSDLP),

the Russian section of the Second International).

AUTHORITY

Plekhanov, who for over two decades was regarded as the world's greatest authority on Marxist philo- of Engels, sophy after the death was one of "the General's" pondents and the latter did hesitate to praise his works with an he enthusiasm which denied to those of Kautsky and Bernstein.

Lenin, too, was. "in love" with Plekhanov and continued to value his philosophical writings even after the latter had gone over to the camp of chauvinism. His famous evaluation of these writings, made during the 1921 Trade Únion within the struggle Bolshevik Party and addressed towards the youth, deserves to be repeated here: you cannot hope to become a real, intelligent Commun- ist without making a study, - and l all Plekhanov's writings, because nothing better has been written on Marxism anywhere in the world." (Once Again on the Trade Unions, January 1921).

NARODNIKS

Plekhanov's philosophical struggles against the utopian-social- Narodniks the 1880s and 1890s and against the revisionists in German the Social-Democracy the turn of the century, formed the indispensable bases of the struggle by against those who sought to revise Marxism in When the post war Labour nationalised the government mines, the newspapers carried photographs of smiling miners standing beside notices "This pit proclaiming the 1S of the people of property Britain.' Some thirty later the years number of miners has been reduced by 250,000, extensive rationalis- aDon has taken place "unprofitable" dosure of pits and Fages position of miners relation to other workers fell back so far that two national strikes were called, the second of which brought down the Heath government early in 1974. A similar story applies in every omic natonanseo moustry. In Tne early 1960s rationalisation of the cost of it poleos tbousands of jobs as "unprofitable"

FATHER OF RUSSIAN

MARXISM

A review by Clive Hills of "The Materialist Conception of History" and "The Role the Bolshevik Party from 1908- 1910 (to which Plekhanov also contributed), without which the October Revolution would not have been possible.

That why movement, which itself bases Lenin s lifelong defend struggle to and develop all the sides or MarxIsi theory, can only welcome the re- publication of these seminal works of Plekhanov which are before us first of these pamphlets, The The Materialist Conception of History (which, like the other, has been out of print since 1969), takes the form review or the trenci edition of the book of the same Marxist Italian by

ALE

Antonio Labriola (Professor of Philosophy at Rome University and leading of the propagandist Marxism in Italy). Plekhanov, following Labriola, begins by considering the charge of 'economic materialism' that is often levelled Marxism by the ideol- at bourgeois ogists of the class account of its insistance that. the economic infrastructure of a given determines society last fin Tne ideological super- analysis / the structure of that society.

INACCURATE

He shows that this charge 1s inaccurate and that other schools of thought more correctly deserve this title. He then goes on to consider the 'theory factors'

THAT

OUT.

forward by the 'critics' of Marxism.

This theory asserts that, while it is economic factor' true that the plays an important role the 1n historical development of society, it is equally true that other 'factors' (for example, language) also have a great influence historically very speaking. Plekhanov shows that Marxism does not in any way deny the influ- ential character of "social factors' other than the economic; historical materialism does, however, insist that these "factors', while enjoying a certain limited, relative autonomy

SPOTLIGHT

lines were closed down. In British Leyland, which is 95% the superi ment, through the National Enter- prise Board is demanding increases in productivity with iner- itable redundancies as a condition for supplying further finance to the company. With the government planning to nationalisation extend the air- shipbuilding industry, cralt and there little doubt that can be workers in these industries will be similar rational- confronted with isation plans. In whose interests, therefore, these nationalised industries are run? Certainly being not in the of the British working interests whose property these indus- Class tries are supposed to be.

Clause Four of the Labour Party constitution commits the party to establish public ownership of the means of production and tom tue ccononue base, are In the last instance' reflections of this self- one base He also examines in greater detail the nature of this "reflection' and of the reciprocal inter-connec- tions which exist between the "factors' and the so-called

ELIOUS

economic foundations upon which they arise.

LAWS

One of these 'factors' is the system of laws of a given society the state apparatus which serves to enforce the law.

final sections of the pamphlet are devoted to an analysis of the way in which the law and state depend on the economic order of society and the way in which they instruments of the domination of the ruling class.

The second pamphlet, The Role in History, was of the Individual written in 1898 for the journal Scientific Review. It, too, like the first, is concern- ed with the exposition and defence We are, however, frequently told of the historical materialist world- that history would have been a outiook of Marxism. In particular, different thing if Napoleon, very the deals with question of the and had not gone on had died at a very young age role played by men' great to becomt historical development. First Consul and Emperor of Marxism is often, even today, France. accused of failing to grasp the trem- Marxists do not deny that this is, endous role played by 'great men' true. in a certain sense. It does, by the ideologists of the bourgeois however, insist that the role played class and also of the petty-bourge- the 'accidental' is very small, oisie (a case in point would be Jean- and that it, once again, is histor- Paul Sartre who makes preciscly ically the determined last such an accusation in his Search for As Plekhanov explains: instance" Method) and which Is inIs "Accident is relative. It appears Plehkanov's contrives make only at the point of intersection of pamphlet relevant to own inevitable processes." times. Thus what is accidental from a point of

ROLE

certain view and in certain sense, from another standpoint and in another, deeper Marxism, as Plekhanov explains and more general, sense - inevit- does not deny that so-called great men' (such as Napoleon) play This means, in the case of those certain role in the evolution of 'accidental' phenomena that we call society. "great men", that: Indeed, it recognises that it is the effects of these "every of talent who that constitute one of the elements appears, every man. of talent who becomes a social force, of the accidental in history.

ON

REFORMISM

and steel. Generous compensation was paid to the former owners and the industries were nationalised put management of state bureaucrats, with the distribution. But of the appointed• course Labour Party is a reformist party, finance needed to re-capitalise these industries being provided by the more concerned with making capit- government out of taxes and loans alism work by reforming its Jess from other governments, particular- acceptable aspects than with the ly America. overthrow of the capitalist system.

based as it is on the private owner- The working class were to have the no say running of these ship of wealth. industries. On the contrary these In 1945, after five years of all- industries were run as a service to out production for the war effort the capitalists. Cheap coal, gas and much of British industry was suffer- electricity, and trans ing from the consequences of under portation enabled the employer to investment and the run-down and keep his costs down. destruction of capital. At the same time, the enormous order to restore key areas of losses resulting from interest pay- industry to profitable production, the ments to former owners and vast quantities of capital investment undercharging of the bosses (but beyond the reach of the capitalist of the not course domestic class, were needed. working Since gave ready-made arguments to the these industries were essential to the post-war revival of of nationalisation who British capitalism, the Labour argued that private enterprise was government stepped in and nation-.

"more efficient" than the public alised sector.

LICHU

DANC

mines, the railways, gas, electricity What was actually happening SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday Sth January, 1977 Plekhanoy is the product of social relations," They because they are are so themselves conditioned by forces far greater than themselves, and can alter individual aspects of

•HEY

events. Thus the changes that would have occurred if Napoleon had not Lived to carry out his historical role would have been only superficial and would not have fundamentally altered the course of history.

Marxism maintains that while 'great men' do play a role in history the significance of this role must not be This exaggerated. excellently explained by Plekhanov in this pamphlet. The republication of these two important pamphlets by Plekhanov the revol- welcomed by utionary movement as it provides additional weapons to direct the against Stalinists and centrists' falsifications of the positions of Marxist philosophy and provides further materials for the study of dialectical materialism.

Spokesman for Labour's nationalisation - Nye Bevan was that the capitalist state, through the government was dunnowicugng une mabilty or capitalism to maintain and expand the productive forces without the intervention of the state.

capitalist state was there- 1 ne behalf of the national fore on capitalist class, taking control of of industry sections in order profitable the return production of the rest of British industry. That firms nationalised in this of the wond Iemain part capitalist economy was something foreseen Engels as far back as Dy the 1880s. Arguing that the capitalist state would ultimately have to undertake the direction of production, Engels pointed (in Socialism: Utopian and Scientifie) to communications, and In particular railways. as the first area where the state would have to intervene. He went on to point out that: "The transformation . .. Into state ownership does not do away with. the capitalist nature of the

STOP PRINT SACKINGS- OPEN

SOCIALIST PRESS Metaesda, Sit Jenner,. 1$7

THE BOOKS

They see that if they can under- It is beginning to look as if mine this citadel of the power of for a ballot of union plans the print unions, then can Fleet Street printworkers on a rapidly move in on a national level joint union-management set of to impose similar measures in local of and other spheres newspapers proposals for job-slashing printing and publishing, in a bid to rationalisation and new tech- drive up the rate of profit in the nology may be shelved or even industry as a whole. For this reason the cash settle- dropped. ments the employers are prepared Huge resistance to the plans has to offer to secure a peaceful road to emerged from tew

ANGELES

Fleet Street redundancy that have so far taken place. workers comparatively from meeting of delegates the generous. Graphical Association know only They well of (NGA) voted not only to reject

LOO

course, that any print worker who the proposals but to demand that walked quietly out of a job in Fleet General Secretary Joe Wade

NGA

Street would find it almost impos- withdraw from the Joint Standing und aternative emplov. Committee of employers and union ment in the industry. which negotiated the leaders will But they stress that there scheme. unly one "no redundancy" be compulsory 300 voted support for the plans.

providing the deal as a whole of meeting

NAIDUFA

is accepted. Operative (National Society of As far as the union general Printers, Graphical and Media secretaries are concerned, they have Personnel delegates also leected stampeded into deep going been the scheme, while at meetings of with the emblovers SOGAT and NUJ officials, strong because they see no other answer to doubts were expressed though no the publishers' repeated threats of vote was taken. closure and enforced sackings.

This increasing mood of It is one of the most deliberately underlies the wage restance open secrets tait mand Sunday struggles in Fleet Street that have daily and national Sunday over the Christ- hit the headlines papers made a profit last year.

mas period. Printworkers are And since every union bureau- responding to the massive threats to crat agrees that he has a respon- their jobs contained in these plans lo preserve the protits of the ICaSSOIL - under the illusion the employer dominant power of their that this in turn preserves jobs the print union secretaries decided The proposals - published after to embark on joint action with the lengthy between collaboration employers and recommend the deal union bureaucrats and management because: by the

TUC

Printing Industries • . rejection of it would result Committee - outline a strategy for in titles continuing to fail as news- the axeing of some 7,000 out of paper economics forced them out 35,000 print jobs in Fieet Street, of business. The inevitable conse- the introduction of new technology would be quences compulsory and a conscious attempt to prevent redundancy industrial disputes. 4711.7 warning to workers and advance The deal is recommended to unions. their members by leaders of all the The package as a result embodies unions with the exception of print complete subservience the 17,000 strong SLADE, "newspaper economics" and alone took a principled line and being faced "advance warning" boycotted the talks sackings. with the prospect of extinction as a The Financial Times pointed out the technology 1f clearly that for the union leaders throughout print the the key issue was at no point the industry. of the of their The employers, of course, have members this was their horizons set much wider than ananaoned from the start. Instead they concen- Fleet Street itself. forces. The modern effect denying the right of producte individuals the what its torm. appiophaic essentially a capitalist machine, the product of social labour.

the capitalists, ideal state of But it is a task that the reformist personification of the total national leaders of the Labour government capital. The more it proceeds to the are unable and unwilling to under- of forces, productive

LUKC

the more does it actually become This task falls to the working capitalist, the by a revolutionary does The Marxist leadership. citizens exploit. mobilisation of workers remain wage workers Crucial lo the working class for this task is the proletarians. The capitalistic relationship done fight taken - up by Marxists for 4Wdy with." through the workers control (Marx-Engels Selected Works p428) demands of Transitional But nationalisation Programme, particular the carried out demands to open the books of mannet the Labour cannot in itself solve employers claiming bankruptcy to government elected trade the crisis facing capitalism.

Engels points out that it merely and the occupation of factories threatened with closure. brings that crisis to a head, because the basic contradiction of capital- The struggle around these demands ism antagonism between the hand in hand with the demand that the govern- increasing socialisation of produc- tion (of which the ment nationalise bankrupt firms, nationalised highest not in the old way, but without the form are under capitalism) and the iridividual compensation to the old owners proved that they appropriation of the wealth have wulu to own such firms, produced. unfit and of This can only be under the management the resolved by workers. society of taking over the means distribution: production and New cars being transported by British Ruit trated on: issues of redundancy "the key pensions, and the problems certs. caused the industry's casual labour system."

COMPUTERS

The main brunt of speed up and job cutting technology from 1S In the production side of the industry with computers making pos- sible to completely eliminate skilled workers now engaged in typesetting block-making, and photographic along with the entire paste-up stage of conventional litho printing.

But it will also have an impact on journalists, who will increasingly be called undertake work done by NGA or other previously union members. The answer to this would seem obvious - a joint move by the trade Computerised page lay-out - the threat to print jobs throughout the industry. unions to oppose the strategy of the employers, conducting campaign to win support for a fight to open up the books and the plans of the publishers to examination by elected union committees.

Instead of this the bureaucrats union-management the joint committee have agreed a procedure which ensures that the union rank and file will account on no informed of future plans - though the bureaucrats are to be given warning to sufficient enable them to defuse struggles.

INFORMATION

Employers required are supply comprehensive and detailed information to the Joint Commit- according to the Late Includins. Daily Telegraph: "returns of a company's present financial situation, sales, news staff print, and employed in departments major and corporate plans, showing econ- broad omic strategy, long-termi objectives, investment, financial resources and pricing and advertise or heis will be picture None this revealed to the workers affected though it will, in the words of the Telegraph "occasionally be divulged to unions only on a strictly confid- ential basis. So the employers choose which union officials they give infor- and how much detail they give them, they making workers gIve upon. these represen- tatives for their understanding of the situation. But not satisfied with this as a means of damping down militancy, the union bureaucrats on the loint committee new disputes procedure, aimed at taking floor and power from the shop of no disruption ensuring This stated with is brutal frankness: "The parties to this agreement, [including recog- the harmful nising extremely effects of any stoppage or disrup- publication or of production, distribution, agree that in the event difference of any arising

WILICH

immediately be resolved, of the full business continuity operation is to be safeguarded, and, practices wherever necessary, the agreements existing difference shall continue to operate pending a settlement or unti the has been procedure agreed exhausted ...there shall be no stop- of work, either of a partial page or general character such as a strike, lock-out, go-siow, work-to rule. overtime ban, chapel meetings held without, permission during produc- tion hours or any other restriction, have been ex stasted of before the stages procedure ditions to the employers by forcing workers to go through lengthy and reaction of NGA and NATSOPA delegates in rejecting this package It must be decisively rejected by print workers. It will save neither Instead it simply opens the door to wholesale slaughter of jobs in the printworkers must belief that redundancies must be accepted and that their only job is to negotiate the biggest cash settle- The alternative way forward is to demand that the full body of information on their finances and plans that employers are so ready to give to the Joint Standing Com- mittee be made available to elected committees of rank and file trade unionists. On the basis of this knowledge it will be possible to take up the fight for those newspapers which run at a loss to be nationalised under the management of workers' commit. After nationalisation, the intro- duction of new technology into the nationalised firms must be accom panied by an expansion of the worl instance th for undertake publication of useful books, book and other material for school lets, and - while all jobs an colleges protected through system work-sharing without loss of pay.

Only in this way can the new technology available in the prin be used benefit thi industry class rather than serve a working an additional attack on workers ans of private profit to

SULLEY

SCREAM

The press barons of Fleet Stree will doubtless scream that national isation would "prevent free speech' and restrict "access to the press" This kind of hypocrisy is thei standard approach. Speech is onl regarded as "free" if it is under th direct controi oi a private owne and his agents who dictate editoria policy the national and loca in press Yet of course in the case of th state-owned BBC the voice of th employer just as viciously represse the privately owned daily press distinction here ol i nere ls grounds of ownership. The struggle prevent th employers monopolising the medi for their own ends centres not a such on who owns the press, but oi development workers control through which trade union committees begin to act to end thi policies of falsification and suppres sion which are basic to th SO employers' propaganda.

CONTROL

The fight to defend Fleet Stree jobs against the employers' abuse will brin technology new advanced workers quickly th point of recognising the need fo such control. But meantime tha in the struggle on jobs must begin.

Wad and the other print union leader dragged out thei must De relationship with the bosses, an confronted with the needs demands of the membership.

document must be throw Not one job, no out in its entirety. a penny in Fleet Street wages mus be sacrificed to the private owners.

Fleet The militancy of Stree workers must be given politica the as spearhead defence of jobs throughout industry. That is the only answe to the new technology. By John Lister

INDUSTRIAL NEWS

NALGO - NO LEAD GIVEN

OFFICIALS RUSH TO PROP PAY LIMIT

Page 10 nag'

FICHT THE

CUTS

Despite the grand gesture of conference a special one-day on January 14th, the leaders of NALGO still have absolute- ly no policy for the defence of jobs and services in the public sector. Their sole recommendations are a refusal to undertake extra work caused by management's refusal to fill vacancies, and the imposition of overtime bans where redundancies are proposed. This is smothered over bv a 10,000 word report which recom- "selective import controis mends of profits" "repatriation and the made by British subsidiary capit- alist firms overseas - hinting that this might save jobs in the axed social services! These nationalist and thorough- policies are those of ly reactionary Party and of the Communist Tribune Group of MPs - who have What cause could drag the General Secretary of the TUC together with the President of the AUEW and the President of the EETPU together with the National Organiser of the T&GWU and other officials Christmas away from their holidays? interests of Certainly not the the working class! On the contrary, from these gentlemen leapt their armchairs spurred only by hopes of out a deal at the strike- bound Rubery Owen car compon- ent works at Datlaston which could preserve the hated 44% wage limit fixed by the TUC and the Labour government.

ELECTRICIANS

Sixty-two electricians the at plant were challenging that policy staging a sit-in their demand for £100 each in lay- pay for time lost alring an earlier strike by AUEW members - who had themselves been demand- ing a wage increase above the TUC limit. Management threatened to shut down the factory unless full normal Britn 1. 9.. strike free from all unions year was forthcoming when the factory topened on January 4th *nat worried management was not paying demanded the by the electricians but the fact the cur

FULS

fin

SON-

FIGH

ht

LIC SERI

"JOBS-

nis! November 17th anti-cuts demonstration The huge 80,000 strong demon- slavishly voted support for round after round of public spending cuts stration on November 17th showed the willingness of workers to fight and refused at any point to lead the yet trade union bureau- slightest fight to remove the leading the cuts - crats, like the linked arms of police- exponents of such Tory policies men act to hold back the strength within the Labour Cabinet.

What is needed to fight the cuts and anger of public sector workers.

"deplore Their method is to is a rejection both of these policies and of the this, that or the other aspect of the spineless talkers that cuts - whilst dodging, amending or advocate them in the trade union opposing any motion calling for and labour movement. NALGO's 600,000 members West Midlands District be united with the At must meeting Jack Bradburn, Midlands membership of NUPE and other

NEC

member, gave classic unions in the public sector in all- this out strike action to stop the cuts, example of technique. in support of a spoke glowingly and force the restoration of public the spending to the 1973 level plus a from Birmingham motion "deplored" the cuts Branch which Jump sum to offset inflation.

- but felt we should not accept the Jobs and services must then be by that part that called for to defended the demand

NALUU

withdraw from the TUC-Labour public expenditure be automatic- Party agreement. with increased keep •1 Y And it is along these lines that increased costs as worked out by the

NEC

will move on January trade Committee. 14th to oppose all motions calling with full access to the accounts and for strike action. plans of the public authorities.

RUBERY OWEN:

But the collaboration in this the TUC betrayal by leaders has strengthened the resolve the employer to tame the strength of shop floor organisation. Plans are now to be discussed between Regional officials, stewards and management towards a new disputes procedure - which no doubt will centre the power in the hands of full time officials.

And further than going this, management want to do away with piecework payment system 1or manual workers, Islali- ing a single payments system.

"FLEXIBILITY"

This of course cannot be done Scanlon until the expiry of the current pay that if they won layoff pay for deal, but seems certain that that period of shut down, this proposals for the extension of pay could immediately be demanded by restrictions after July will permit 1,900

T&GWU

a degree of "flexibility" to enable another in the plant who have not until now such reactionary deals to be drawn been involved in disputes.

up. Management and

TUC

leaders It seems likely that there will be were agreed unanimously therefore considerable resistance among the that the top priority was to ensure electricians to the first stage in this that the electricians did not win proposed union-management carve- their lay off claim. wages shop IlOOT From this starting point they strength, arrived But whether or not the EETPU at the ludicrous terms be proposed to the electricians by leaders get the acceptance of the EETPU President Breakell the day deal they so desperately want, it is we go to press: that the company clear that a whole series of struggles pay £6,000 to charity, not to the still to come at Rubery Owen and that the electric- fighting not ians go back to work with only employer but much more his agents three weeks unemployment benefit within the labour movement itseli officials and a fortnight's social security to desperate to show for their struggle. uphold the social contract.

EGA -

STRENGTHEN

PICKET!

The first months of 1977 will be crucial for the Fliza- Garrett beth Anderson hospital. The Camden-Islington Area Health Authority now 11c70 announced that they intend begin moving equipment out of the hospital after mid-January and to the patients early 10 Ye February. has only antonce CH served to strengthen the resolve of EGA workers to keep the hospital.

EQUIPMENT

The Joint Shop Stewards Com- mittee is going ahead with plans fot the from preventing equipment being moved, and for ensuring that drugs and other supplies will continue to be available.

They are also preparing a finan- cial statement which will prove the AHA's manipulation of funds and budgets to its own ends for of funds in examoe the old wards for

EGA

renovating patients at the Whittington Hospital to a standard far inferior to even present EGA facilities. Although the picket on the EGA

T&G BALLOT

At its meeting in December the Campaign for Democracy in the Labour Movement decided to support and to campaign for Alan Thornett in the forthcoming ballot for the position of General Secretary of the Transport and General Workers Union. Thornett, who has been nomin- the 5/293 Branch at the ated by Cowley BLMC Assembly Plant has long record of struggle in the

T&GWU.

Joining the union 1961 he was rapidly elected shop steward for the Transport Depart- ment in the factory, a position he holds today, and to which he has been constantly reelected for the past 14 years. Having led many struggles for wages and conditions not ony on the Transport section but in the plant as a whole (serving for seven Deputy Convenor), as Thornett was central to the struggle against Measured Day Work, which culminated in a six week strike against its introduction into the factory. He also played a key role in the lation both the Labour govern- ment's In Place of Strife and the Tory Industrial Relations Act.

In Thornett led the struggle against work study and for mutually agreed work effort. During this fight he was victimised who withdrew management recognition from when his section struck defence of an a collat Having from beer

SCOTCE

office deputy by SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday Sth January, 1972 has been minimal over the holiday resources will period, all possible be mobilised by 17th January SO that the front gate can be guarded at all times to prevent neavy vans from moving out equipment.

The EGA Campaign is planning Canen to build bp local stiport.

series public meetings Cinema Action are making a film on the EGA occupation taking up the question of workers' control, which is the key to not only the defence of

EGA

the occupation but to the defence of the entire Health Service. We call on all London trade the unionists others from and labour movement to renew support for the EGA picket and to be pre- pared to take decisive action when the AHA makes its first move health At the same time branch should make support for the EGA the centre of fight to mobilise the national 'strength of their unions in all-out strike action to halt the cuts, demanding a complete restoration of all spending cutbacks and the of the Health Service protection inflation through a sliding against providing scale of spending increases in line with au anale Here CoNs

VOTE THORNETT

Thornett T&GWU officials, Thornett was subjected to a massive witch-hunt run for reelection under impossible conditions. This had the effect of removing him not only from the deputy convenor position and from chair- manship of the 5/55 Branch (which bureaucratically by T&GWU officials) but also from the Midlands Regional Committee on which he had sat for four years.

With the bankruptcy of British Leyland, Thornett led the fight in Cowley to establish a trade union "open the books committee" •to investigate the financial state of the company on behalf of the work- torce.

"PARTICIPATION"

against introduction called participation' and has since been elected chairman of the Joint Shop Stewards Committee and of 5/293

T&GWU

Branch the Cowley. On of the basis Thornett's principled record and his consistent Ight tor a proeramme to detenc the working class not only on the shop floor but at the Biennial Dele- gate Conference of the

T&GWU

Socialist Press endorses the decision of the Campaign for Democracy in the Labour Movement to support the and him in election, will campaig in his support against the group of top bureaucrats vying to be the continuator of the right-wing collaborationist and completely bureaucratic policies of the current General Secretary, Jack Jones.

LEYLAND CONVENORS

BACK PENALTY CLAUSES

SOCIALIST PREST bedterda 5in Jenner. 197" 10 A report on the latest offer by British Leyland manage- ment on so-called 'fringe bene.

fits' was presented at a meet- ing of Senior Stewards of the Thursday manual unions on 23rd December. Leyland have been using these negotiations as major towards corporate (company-wide) The company is eager to bargaining. get rid of plant level bargaining, aiming to put all negotiations into the hands unelected officials at national level away from the strength of the shop floor.

PARTICIPATION'

The negotiations have been organised on the trade union side by the same 'ad hoc' committee (each selected by union

OHE

officials) that negotiated the reac- tionary 'participation' system into Leyland. The company's latest proposals are on the basis of certain amend- ments the to management docu- which, we reported in Socialist Press 47, was circulated secretly in November to the 'ad hoc committee behind the backs of other convenors and shop stewards.

The of the Ja U1

DONELS

company offer are: *Introduction of a common wage review date throughout • Leyland's Cars Division - Novem- ber 1977. *Slightly improved lay-off to 15 days payments increased every three for disputes months outside Leyland. But these will be attached to a penalty clause which previously existed Leyland which states that: payments will "No lay-off be made for any quarter to any indiv.

idual employee who in the previous quarter took part in unconstitution- al industrial action, the duration of

IINDUSTRIAL NEWS

The Finanetal Times Friday December 17 1976 The Management Page Attitudes of shop floor managers can make or break a participation scheme. In this article Bill Roche, a leading shop steward, gives a personal view on this and other problems in Leyland factories Leyland's fight for survival Finding his rightful place in the Financial Times, Cowley Body Plant Convenor, Bill Roche.

which was an aggregate of four conditions worse than the present hours." state of affairs! *A sick pay scheme - which will But despite this the no longer include a similar penalty

SENTOI

stewards including, of clause. course, prominent members of the Com- This offer therefore combines a munist Party, who have been major step by the company towards their goal of corporate bargaining drawn into assisting management through 'participation introduction clause which jeopardises all the lay- and implementation of the pay policy. voted over 3-1 to recom- off entitlements workers have nend the offer to their members previously won. when it is reported back to the

WORSE CONDITIONS

plants. There is no doubt that the mood In other words, far from offering 'fringe benefits, the package offers on the shop floor is bitterly hostile Our American Correspondent writes on

PENALTY CLAUSES - US STYLE

The recent workers three years an auto worker must auto have no absences even for sickness contract in the United States during each monthly period.

highlighted the open collabor- "given" at The holiday is then ation between the giant the company's discretion.

corporations and the United The languare was so

CULELTALE

Automobile Workers bureau- stringent for attendance eligibility that the JAW trade union bureau- cracy. •cracy witheld the actual wording The new auto contract which from auto workers who had to vote was built up by the union leader- on the contract! ship as shortening the work week The wage and sea gas increase held actually penalizes those workers down "CIe allowed that give the companies the wio do not nave a periect atten- dance record. hire part time In order to be eligible for the below the pay scale and without "personal" twelve more holidays medical and Pension Dentalls brought the contract other workers are entitled to.

Uve. Woodcock next to Carter, with US auto chiefs of General Motors, Chrysler and Ford.

OUT

Workers leave the BLMC Assembly Plant at Cowley to such reactionary moves by the The task of winning any kind of for this will no deni doubt the limit the stretch to ability these seniot stewards manoeuvre around the 111C11 bership. Under these conditions the fight must be taken up to expose to the manual workforce the attacks aimed at them their bureaucratic leaders, and build an alternative leadership prepared defend the conditions, jobs, and wages of the membership. UAW President Woodcock had quite a time pushing auto workers for acceptance of this contract and was helped mightily in this task by the companies themselves.

Woodcock has of course made by his early support for Catter lin his early support for Carter (in which he joined by President of Ford Motors) and his open political collaboration with Motors General fighting pollution standards for cars.

therefore used the Woodcock resources of GM to the full extent.

PLANT MEETING

General Motors, aware of the 40% rejection vote at Ford follow- ing the four week strike "allowed" the UAW to hold the meeting to ratify the new contract for the first time in the plant cafeteria under company sunervision This they hoped would allow a much larger vote among the conser- vative strata of auto workers who would otherwise not vote.

The vote was additionally tied to an 800 dollar Christmas bonus as an 'yes. vote incentive or the rejection would have meant the loss of the bonus. Despite these tactics a large no' wasn't successful this resistance will lay the basis for the construction of a national opposition committed to the fight for a sliding scale of wages and against the attack on jobs.

Page 11 Marathon Betrayal In July 1971 a work-in was launched at the Upper Clyde Shipbuilders yards in resistance plans by the Tory government to sack 6,000 out of 8,500 workers.

This form of action, proposed and led by members of the Com- moided firect confrontation wich munist one which Tory instead at simply protest to "pres surise" for a change of heart by Industry then Secretary John Davies. Yet despite this weakness it chord of Struck the sections among mass workers seeking means resisting Tory attacks - and won a huge response from trade union- ists throughout the country, who contributed lavishly to maintain the workforce in the yards while CP Stalinists allowed them simply to complete ships for the liquidator to sell off. The work-in eventually ended in October 1972 with three yards merged in a new company and the Clydebank yard taken over by the American Marathon company for constructing oil rigs. are changed. But now things With a Labour government relying on the

TUC

bureaucracy preserve it in power and with the working class desperately looking for a national lead, in the struggle the Com- against redundancies, munist Party seeking to preserve its alliance with the union bureau- crats, has also swung massively to the right. So when last month Marathon financial difficulties announced were going to necessitate redun- dancies, the Stalinists' response was not even so much as to call for a work-in. Stalinist Instead convenor Dickie proudly announced to a delighted capitalist press his new way of 'fighting' redundancies - he had persuaded 1,000 Marathon "indefinite suspension on the dole, teöuite workers accept Marathon's formally on books) to avoid the need. for sackings! This marks a new depth of Party betrayal Communist - IC run alongside their management British Leyland role the 'participation' set-up.

VICARS &

BLACKLEGS

AMONGST

VARIOUS

THE

trade unionists whose services to the ruling class were recognised by the Queen New Years List and who seem well this honour were suited to two from Oxford who received OBE's.

is Arthur Dent One of thege whose major claim to fame was that, whilst he was a member of Oxford Trades Council he crossed official picket line during the an 1973 Hospital workers' strike. For this he earned such hatred that he stopped attending Trades Counci meetings. The other is worker Priest the Tony Williamson right reverend chairman of the

T&GWU

5/60 Branch which covers the BLMC Body Plant. His most recent notoriety that as Sheriff of Oxford he is in charge of the bailiffs of the city.

It was Williamson's bailiffs who evicted the Linton Lodge hotel (who on official

SLAK RES

T&GWU strike) after managerent the «eneated in and courts had the strikers evicted.

WORKERS SOCIALIST

LEAGUE

PUBLIC MEETING

CENTRAL LONDON

"The Struggle for Wages and Unions in the Hotel Industry" Tuesday Ith January at 7pm Kenilworth Hotel, Gt. Russell St.

London WC1

AGEE "TRIAL" DATE

Page 12 On Tuesday January 11th, Philip Agee, ex-CIA agent of the book and author "Inside the Company: CIA Diary", will be "tried" by a three-man: tribunal hand- picked by Home Secretary Merlyn Rees, on charges which his accusers refuse to reveal. His "judges" may reject any of the witnesses Agee will have gathered in his defence.

ne will not be told in advance the procedure to be adopted at his hearing.

DEPORTED

If he found "guilty" of having endangered British his speeches "security" by and Sapper journalistic activities, he will be deported to the US, where be may similar process on January 19th.

well be jailed for his exposure of Agee and Hosenball, , and their the CIA's covert activities.

supporters in their Defence Cam- At a press conference on Dec- are rightly determined to drive Rees, ember 22nd, Agee's lawyer Larry the Labour Cabinet drive Grant (Who may himself be and the officials of the Intelli- from Kafkaesque gence Services, out into the open.

proceedings) had this to say about the Home Office's bizarre attempt

CHARGES

to play accuser, judge and jury: "Mr Agee placed in an They are challenging Rees to impossible This position. bring any charges he may have in shadow boxing in the dark. He has a court of law, where they can be no rights yet has little alternative openly examined and a proper if he is to make any attempt to defence prepared. assert his innocence. Rees' the blatant resott • to dictatorial powers given him by

SUPPORT

his experience of similar frame-up A defence committee has beer melnous m i. elana nas raisca mobilising support for Agee and a widespread campaign of oppos- for Mark Hosenball, who faces a ition in the labour and trade

POLISH WORKER

FUND

BEATEN UP IN COURT

As we went to press the total amount received tor the Decem- A member of the Polish ber Monthly Fund was a dis- Workers Defence Committee appointing £430.75. was beaten up when trying It is important that we make a to attend court proceedings big effort to raise the full £600 in Radom against six of the Monthly target for the January workers accused of 'damag- Fund. state property' in last All donations should be sent June's general strike against to: Socialist Press Monthly Fund the anti-working class 31, Dartmouth Park Hill policies of the bureaucracy.

London NW5 1HR This new of thuggery piece follows successful police efforts to

WORKERS SOCIALIST

prevent members of the Commit- tee from attending the previous

LEAGUE

trial a few days earlier.

PUBLIC MEETING

this workers in

LICE

were

HULL

given prison sentences of up to Thursday January 20th at 7.30 waree ved The crisis of the Polish bureau- Y.P.I., George Street, HULL cracy now expressed combination of this savage repres-

WORKERS SOCIALIST

sion of the working class along

LEAGUE

witn a desperate attemot to stop the economic rot by lifting restric-

LIVERPOOL

• nons on lne capilanst sector or Education Class the economy. During December two import-

"THE LABOUR PARTY"

ant measures were passed. One of Wednesday 19th January these gives tax benefits and easier AUEW Hall, Mount Pleasant supplies of raw material to Polish at 7.30 pm

SOCIALIST

PRESS *

PAPER OF THE WORKERS SOCIALIST LEAGUE

BRITAIN

EUROPE

{1 6 issues.. 6 issues.. £1.15 12 issues 12 issues . £2.30 24 issues . £4 24 iasues .£4.60

REST OF THE WORLD

6 issues.. £1.50 12 issues . "£3.00 24 issues . £6.00 I would like to take out a subscription to Socialist Press. I would like..... issues, I enclose £ ..

NAME. .....

ADDRESS.

LOOMS

Daly union movement. Many trades union branches bodies have and support for the two. of Among leading trade union officials who are sponsoring the defence cam- paign are Lawrence Daly of the NUM and Alan Sapper of ACTT.

Labour MP Richardson, support of almost 100 with the other MP's has tabled an early day motion in the House of Commons for January 10th.

DEMONSTRATION

It is essential that all sections of the workers' movement now to stop this arrogant attack on democratic rights. Trade union bodies should mobilise contingents for the owned small factories, workshops and catering facilities. The second designed to 1s encourage more foreign capitalist in Poland. It gives the same tax benefits as to Polish capitalists and also guarantees that foreign firms can repatriate 50% of their profits. If they for export produce then there is no limitation at all on profit repatriation. The Ursus tractor factory, one of the centres itself a ot last years strike, joint enterprise with Massey- is financed by a Ferguson and consortium of British banks.

calls this The bureaucracy 'allowing private initiative to contribute to the building of developed socialism' On Friday 14th January an international platform of speakers, most of them once prominent in the leadership of the Fourth International will defend Joseph Hansen and George. Novak, veteran members of the American Workers Party Socialist slanderous against the allegation of the Internation- al Čommittee of the Fourth International that they are "accomplices of the GPU" The IC, led by Gerry Healy of the British Workers Revolutionary Party, claims that Hansen and Novak "criminally were negli- gent". Trotsky's at the time of assassination by a Stalinist agent They further allege attempt to protect tnemselves - "covered Novak and Hansen have up" the role of the GPU in the TOTSKYS movemen. We clear in demonstration being organised in London by the Defence Commit- tee ön Sunday January 9th on the following slogans: and Hosenball must Agee stay! - Out with the CIA! - Repeal the Immigration Act!

The demonstration will assem- ble Tube amoankment

CHAINC

Station at 12.45pm and will move oft at 1.15 to march to the Home Office in Whitehall to the anO US Embassy at Grosvenor Square.

There will then be a rally at Speakers Corner.

SPEAKERS

Speakers will include Judith Hart, NUJ General Secretary Ken Morgan, Philip Agee, Jo Richard- son MP, and representatives from Cypriot Defence Committee and the Campaign for Repeal of tie blingration Act Information and literature are avalaole mom tne agee mosenoal Defence Committee, c/o

NCCL,

186, Kings Cross Road, WC1. to which donations and resolutions of support should also be sent.

AGEE/HOSENBALL DEFENCE

COMMITTEE

Two Publications CIA Briefing (20p) Jamaica Destabilised (25p) Available from: Agee/Hosenball Defence Committee c/o NCCL, 186, Kings Cross Road. London WC

CYNICAL SWAP

The main architect of the sordid deal in which Soviet Communist Party General Secretary Brezhnev and Chilean Pinochet dictator swapped the most famous of their thousands of political United was States government, which acted as go-between. Kissinger and his successors hope to use the deal as a basis for the international economic rehabilitation Chilean dictatorship. The event has predictably pro- duced waves of liberal euphoria and Stalinist self-congratulation. This hypocrisy is designed obscure that it is Stalinism which bears the political responsibility for both the of Soviet biologist Bukovsky and Chilean Communist Party leader

RALLY AGAINST

HEALY SLANDERS

several extensive articles in Socialist Press our opposition to the accusations made by the WRP the traudulent attempts of the IC to establish an internation al 'inquiry' into the "indictment" But it is our opinion that no further practical purpose can be served by participating in a meet- where would not Ing we be make political permitted assessment of either the IC or the USFI of which the SWP is the American sympathising section.

We feel that Healy's slander part of campaign is only a much deeper-going crisis within the world Trotskyist movement as a whole and can only be under- stood as such. In our view the answer to this is not to dash to relieve one symp- tom but to confront the disease of flourishes disorientation which within the IC not simply but within all the main groupings internationally calling themselves Trotksyist. It is for this reason we have consistently called for an inter SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday Sth January; 1977 Continued from Front Page linked to the rising cost of living through a sliding scale of wages on a Dorice index worked out br elected trade union committees: *No spending cuts! Wherever imposed the • cuts are strike there with demands that the action local labour movement rally full The round with demand must be for the full •be Босс "ее sliding scale of spending linked to increased costs assessed by trade union committees, and the nationalisation of public sector suppliers. *No redundancies! Where the employers threaten redundancies the demand must be lor Work sharing on full pay the total of work available divided hours between the whole workforce with no loss of earnings.

*Open the books! When the employer argues he cannot afford wage increase or to sustain the full workforce, the demand must be to force the turm to open its accounts and plans to an elected communee or trade umonists. 11k will either prove that the case is a spur on bluff, and the fight for that the Jobs and wages. or show employer genuinely bankrupt - in which case the firm must be nationalised the under manage- the elected committee,

THIC IL

with no compensation to the old owners. *Stop racialism! Defend the black communities by the estab- lishment of workers' defence squads. Destroy the basis of racialism by attacking unemploy.

ment inadequate social services for a programme of public works under trade union management to provide jobs for the unemployed and much-needed houses and other amenities.

Luis Corvalan. It is Stalinist repression in the USSR which has kept Bukovsky and *mental illegally lalieu asylums' for ten years; it was collaboration in Stalinist class Chile which paved the way for the successful coup by the military dictatorship which has kept Corvalan in jail and concentration camps since 1973. For Brezhnev himself this is no problem. Bukovsky's release and expulsion has not been mentioned Soviet And inter- the press. nationally Brezhney is using the his try to identify all with the prisoners pontical extreme right wing. For Brezhnev, Pinochet and the US government the deal is a diplomatic cynical

MANUCYC

absolutely which has done nothing to advance the interests thousands of political of the prisoners who remain both in Chile and in the USSR. national discussion on the development. political crisis within the post-war Fourth Inter- national, particularly in relation to the various splits and divisions that have occurred in the move- ment. Only this basis on principled footing be established reconstruction for the of the Fourth International and a clear struggle for democratic centralism against forms of abuse, including slander and frame up.

This, of course, does not mean that opposed to lomt al C meetings under any' circumstan- in the the class enemy joint meetings may well serve a userul purpose Indeed, only recently the WSL initiated a joint meeting with the IMG addressed by a representative of the Argentinian PST on the defence of political prisoners in Argentina. We regard such defence as an essential principle. But we regard January's rally of as a So ulco more contusion than clarity. Foi this reason we will not take part.