Socialist Press no. 60

TROOPS OUT

There can be no solution to the struggle in Northern Ireland until the British Army is withdrawn. The interests of British imperialism are now Catholic population and for the moment the Loyalist forces grouped around lan Paisley. emerge from the present Loyalist strike.

Initiated by the United Union- ist Action Council(UUAC) and led agitate by Ian Paisley and Ernest Baird the strike has as its central demands the reintroduction "tougher measures" security At against the IRA, and the ending of direct British rule over the area.

In practical terms this would mean the restoration of the old Stormont with all the instruments police judiciary-in Loyalist hands, the a fresh offensive against the Cath- olic minority.

CONFLICT

At the moment such demands conflict with British imperialist plans for the north. and for that Labour reason alone minister Mason Roy has announced his "security intention of using the forces" to ensure the defeat of the strike. As we go to press there have mentally been no signs that Mason will Unionist actually break the strike.

All reports show the army are wam pie *low profile" underfoot. maintaining leaving control of the situation in the hands of the RUC But even if Mason does move out on strike. But Loyalists it will not acting in the intimidation he be because interests the Irish working class. On the contrary it will be because terests Ireland demand that the strike be broken. Revolutionary socialists can from absolutely support attacks. RUC or army moves against the By strike.

SOCIALIST

PRESS *

OF IRELAND

class. But they of principled, enmeshed in conflict with both the workers. These are the key points that sharp tate Instead, we must continue to for the immediate and withdrawal of troops and for the disbanding and als, leads them disarming of the RUC and UDR.

abandon the Protestant workers the to Loyalist reactionaries.

sallic steadfastly pro-imperialist.

UNION LEADERS

The the trade union leaders was shown most graphically last Trade they called for a very firm res- to UDA threats. In this unqualified Stalinists of Irish Communist Parties. Paisley Northern Area of the Communist the oppose present Party of Ireland (CPI) also issued strike because it seeks to restore a statement on May 3 in which and ascendancy they said: minority stands by his pledges to maintain We call on all workers to ignore the workers' UUAC demands that they come demand that the roads are kept clear, situation of mass 1n and that the factories are protect- by right wing para- ed against the intimidators military outfits like the UDA and UVF, such a call will go unheeded Maya saTel unless coupled with the demand that the trade union movement in ities to act as they have talked.

Northern Ireland establish armed Intimidation by aerence squaas to protect workers groups [i.e. both Loyalist and army Cont'd page 2 Col 1. themselves these defence squads will not unite the working

FORTNIGHTLY PAPER OF THE

WORKERS SOCIALIST LEAGUE

No 60 * 11 May 1977 * 10p Wounded, but not dead That is the state of the TUC government moves to impose third round of control, following last week's 50-2 vote of the committee of the AUEW. The can prove an resolution instructs Executive to: important step in the formation anti-imperialist "call for an immediate return to free collective bargaining at the unity of Catholic and Protestant end of the second stage of the Social Contract" The fight for the creation of such defence squads will necessi- The wording is of course all- The political struggle.

BONOT

The method and programme of short of calling for an immediate the only force at present fighting return to free collective bargaining British imperialism, the Provision- -or even actually mandating the to effectively AUEW to reject wage control.

Instead it calls for: "every effort to And leadership of the Northern have this adopted by the TUC in Ireland trade union movement is 1977 in the event of our policy not being adopted by the

TUC,

the national instruct the executive council to them decide recall LO pro-imperialist policies of position." When we remember that there Tuesday built-in majority (May 3) in a statement issued by

AUEW

National Committee, the the Northern Ireland Congress of resolution can be Unions (NICTU) in which nised as laying the groundwork completely sham ponse from the security forces" AUEW leaders can now talk of opposition to wage controls. They they received totally might even vote against the Phase support from the 3 deal at the TUC the British and The political committee of the "It is essential that Roy Mason We rigat to work. that transport is available And a Morning Star editorial of *It is up to the British author these powerful UDA, etc.] demands But while all the know uney nave tne sately net ol

INSIDE

Target A Weekly Paper Page 9 Election Comment Page 4 Victory after Hotel 23 weeks . Page 11 Paris Commune Page 6-7 Pakistan - Behind Bhutto s Rise 1. Page 3 CLASH Conference Page 5 The Battle for Chile Page 8

DEMAND HALT -

TO SCANLON'S

PHASE 3 TALKS

recalled National Committee which can quietly capitulate to "majority" ot the TUC, now being stage managed wage at summer conterences The real feelings of these senior bureaucrats was shown not in the National 50-2 vote for this resolution but in the earlier wafer thin 27-25 defeat for Scanlon's Phase resolution, which called for orderly return" to free collective bargaining. And a later amendment calling for an immediate return to free collective bargaining at the end of the Social Contract was defeated 29-23-showing clearly the opposition of leadership to a fight

AUEW

against wage controls. There is no doubt. howeve be made to the fine print is worded, that the decision comes as a damaging set- back to plans for further wage control. committee

DOUBLE TALK

our And it is no accident that the that forced this resort pressures double-talk emerge

BROS

the on clearly in the

AUEW

whose members have been at the fore- clearly recog- front of struggles against Phase 2- most recently the Leyland - 1n fight toolroom strike and the Heathrow pay dispute. But would be a major mistake to see this pressure sufficient to force a return to free collective bargaining. The working class was over whelmingly opposed to Phase 2 o control-this did not deter wage the TUC leaders from imposing it And brushing aside the setbacks they are now proceeding hell-bent up and enforcing a on drawing Phase 3 deal.

AUEW

members must now ensure that the NC resolution is translated into action-demanding Scanlon is forced to withdraw from the TUGs Phase 3 talks And in other unions the fight must be stepped up to oppose all torms of wage contros and tol wage claims both to catch up for eroded wage packets and to com- pensate wages against future Scanlon inflation by linking wages to price they will as assessed by trade union

BISCS

committees

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Page 2

MAIN EVENTS

1974. 25 April. Military coup overthrows 50 year fascist regime to general rejoicing. Led by the 'Armed Forces which set up a 'Junta of National Salvation' Movement' ¡with right-wing General Spinola at the head.

(1 May. 100,000 marchers in Lisbon greet the coup.

9 May. First Provisional government set up including Soares of the Socialist Party and Cunhal of the Com- munist Party. (30 May. Communist Party attacks striking bank workers las 'fascists'. July. Second Provisional Government under Goncalves set up, without SP. COPCON, an elite force supporting the coup, set up under Otelo More strikes attacked by, government and CP. Goncalves mays they will remain in NATO, and Spinola announces that the colonies will be given their independence, ¡process which takes another vear and a halt to compete.

August. Anti-strike law passed by government including CP ministers. Various left wing papers prosecuted.

September. Strikes by Lisnave shipworkers and TAP airline workers defy CP leaders.

27-28 September. Failure of Spinola to mobilise silent majority' for a coup in Lisbon, probably left-wing, as armed workers prevent demonstrators from assembling. 30 September. of Spinola and his replace- Resignation ment as President by Costa Gomes.

the workers' 1975. January. Discussion and big demonstrations in their support. 30,000 workers in Alentejo involved in farm take-overs.

11 March. Another right-wing coup attempt defeated by left-wing soldiers and workers' mobilisation. exiled, and a new Military Revolutionary Council set up by the AFM. March. Banks taken over by workers. Fourth Provisional government set up, now including Soares again.

25 April. General election makes SP the largest party.

CP only get 12%. Workers take over Republica from its SP proprietor and crisis in the AFM with the development of indepen- dent action in the army. Renascenca taken away from its Catholic july. the proprietors by workers. Also the exchange, from which soldiers cannot get them out.

Attacks on the CP throughout the country by the SP the extreme CP forms alliance and right. ¡etend itselt and the with Provisional dovernment. The alliance includes members of the USFI who join a mass demonstration in Lisbon on 25 August aimed at defend- ing the government. 29 August. Fifth Provisional government collapses, and the Sixth under the 'moderate' SC l November. Striking building workers beseige Parliament and force Further unrest in the army and concessions. the SUV (Soldiers United Will Win) moverent surfaces ander rank and file soldiers.

25 November. Alleged left-wing coup attempt. Some wild talk by ultra-left and desperation of CP used as an excuse for repressing democratic movements in the army and economic demands in the working class.

1976. January. AFM blame CP for the November coup and Otelo. Republica handed back to holders. 26 February. New pact between AFM and all the main political parties including the CP guarantees continued sower of the military. March. New wave of strikes.

25 April. General election shows fall in SP vote from 39% to 35%, but total vote for workers parties remains above 50%. ฿7 June. Presidential elections vote in Eanes with 64%, supported by the SP and all right-wing political forces.

Tinority SP government then set up under Soares.

september. Soares launches *austerity rices rise and foreien reserves disappear November. Anti-working class policies of Soares lead to muggles at sr where his opponents get large rotes. Minister of Agriculture sacked for lack of enthus- sm in campaign against farm take-overs.

1977. 25 April. Third of coup celebrated anniversary military parades, IMF loan, and talk of need for crifice' and 'discipline'.

RELAND

•O• verment, response rigorous from the Far This position exactly the main ame as the one the Stalinists held

UWC

during the stoppage of shown Loyalist It is derived entirely from the prepared to Stalinist concept that British imper- the bitter end. inlism can play a progressive role in Leland. But demand both this strike and the 1974 lobe fact that the British govern- dismantle reform the Orange state which itself established over 50 years revealed last week The failure of the Catholic Mason Civil minority achieve Rights anti-IRA 1968-70 during shows that there off his action. aa be no solution to the Northern And within the trame Mason park of the Northern Ireland state.

age of Vasco de Carvalho. The third anniversary bolster of the anti-fascist coup in Portugal was celebrated on 25 April, with appeals sections for 'discipline' and 'law and against the wing President Eanes and 'austerity with calls for He from reformist Minister Soares. movement In the days leading up to of its Soares went anniversary, Washington for plead ted Spinola American participation In a $1 ,500 million loan lo stave that off Portugal's intense because omic crisis, with an inflation rate last vear or i and a balance trade deficit of £1,100 million.

INCIDENT

Soares and the SP leaders blew up a minor incident of he CP and SP telephone fighting members in a town Canet Salvanterra denounce to "totalitarianism'. returned Soares thus hoped Admiral share-

TROOPSOUTNOW

Continued From Page 1. security measures to from playing a progressive of power workers from the Bally- Iole the British government is the lumford station. and of the How successful prop support eventually be it is difficult to tell.

by its active collusion with all probability murder gangs that compromise WIll defend that state to out-but such a compromise can be of no benefit whatsoever The Communist Party's demands section of the working class in the in effect reduce themselves to the north of Ireland. that the British Their govern- ment should cease to be imperialist!

guarded by fighting for the removal of all traces of Ireland and for the establishment of The fundamental unity between imperialism and Loyalism was again a workers' government in its place.

That At the start of the strike, Roy success- the name appealed, of ful if led by a revolutionary party unity, to Paisley to call fighting both in the North and the South socialist last Thursday, May presented a five-point pack- is now the most pressing task tougher anti-republican the Irish workers.

PORTUGAL

3 YEARS ON

his anti-Communist have pleased the middle class and anti-working class image But in the eyes of the American workers was small, and many and those government more turned out on a demon- of international stration on May Day support- finance capital whose support ing wing TIne military including Otelo and he is begging. even Costa Gomes, now seen

'STALINIST'

in this light. The SP used May Day to told the Washington hold a big meeting of trade Press Club, an assembly not unionists Oporto well known for the subtlety denounce the 'totalitarian' CP political that he objec- such matters, of CP control many to the Portuguese because it was 'Stalinist', and The bureaucratic tactics of he supported

NATO

the Stalinists may help Soares was needed to to denounce defend the free world. itarians' and to say that the Soares got his money with land take-overs in the south these speeches, but he has not are only used to set up a CP necessarily got the support of empire'. the working class. However, such Back in Lisbon just in time April will not allow celebration, tor the 25 attack forever the living stan- saw the first major dards of the military parade in the capital since fascist times masses and the gains of their revolution without the begin- This showed the army has the old ways of ning of a fight back. to bourgeois discipline and must atEH Mass demonstration against the Azevedo government.

a deputation But in England the task at hand is for trade unionists and Labour Party members to press the strike will with demands for the withdrawal of the imperialist army of occupation face-saving in Ireland be This struggle is inseparable from Hammelta the fight to break the reactionary Liberal-Labour coalition deal, to ellie. remove the right wing leadership of the Labour Party. interests can only be safe- The demands must be particular those

"ATT

imperialism who have in the past given support the for Out of Ireland, but who now troop will only obligingly into. lobbies vote for the Callaghan- Support for the struggle for self- determination of the Irish people is The construction of such a party therefore part and parcel facing fight for principled leadership the British workers' movement. SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 11 May, 1977

USA

READY FOR

TRADE WAR

In introducing his sweeping conservation energy pro- programme on television last month, US President Jimmy Carter made repeated appeals the American people. The effort to meet the energy would be "the shortage moral equivalent of war" His choice of image was more than mere rhetoric: in the long term Carter very much has war on his mind. The energy proposals are geared of to making the US less vulnerable to changes in the price and avail- ability of imported oil. They would involve cutting the of the growth energy in

COMPLO

from 4.6% to 2% per year; reducing 2 million barrels a oll imports by 25%); and massively day (about increasing the production of coal and its importance as an energ source. Carter has time, Arne came TeRI boosted future profits of the oil important giants by quietly agreeing to pro. gressive relaxation of price controls.

Less in the news but just as important are plans for intensifying them as 'total- the development of contentionl nuclear power stations behind the ban on fuels for fast- breeder reactors. These measures will, if carried pretexts the US out, give government Soares freer hand, both in waging the trade wars that the economic crisis puts Portuguese on the agenda, and ultimately, in carrying out sustained military adventures. Carter has so far acted contin- uously respect of import controls. There is now heavy pressure from business on restricting imports of steel and commodities such as These demands are supported, even led, by right-wing bureau- crats such as George Meany of the AFL-CIO (nearest American equiv- alent to the TUC). He has thus ordered an appeal of recent Customs Court The decision to impose duties on Japanese electronic products to offset subsidies offered the Japanese that governmell Although protectionist measures are bound to increase, Carter seems to prefer laying a firm groundwork while giving a measured response to "dumping' Meanwhile he has also taken an important first step towards consol- idating his grip as president by the of a 'Reorganisation Act', passage which gives him sweeping powers to change the structure of government agencies, subject only to the retro- of the Congress. spective veto Carter's cry for patriotic self- sacrifice is also useful for diverting the American the from wOrKerS problems of inflation and unemployment that beset them It comes at a time of mounting industrial action, including a major strike by the dockers and near rejection by steel workers of a new contract in the teeth of the union's leaders. forward There is now a strong lobby for such the Committee on the Danger, Present recently

THE CI

produced a television film showing Soviet attacks inter- and spersed with speeches by Solzhen- itsyn. That group is largely financed levelled by business interests, but one of its founder verbal Kirkland, Secretary treasurer of the Troops

AFL-CIO.

It was also as a result of AFL- Parliamentary

CIO

that Soviet three

VICEBULE

trade unionists', invited to the longshoremen's April were denied seattle entry US the So much for of the pious about freedom of travel!

PAKISTAN behind Bhutto speaking at the time of the war against Bangla Desh.

A Special Guest Article by Farooq Nawaz (Samaj) In the wake of a rising against the Ayub regime in 1968 his most loyal faithful minister, throughout 10 years of army rule, switch- ed sides and became the chief spokesman of the anti-Ayub movement. His name was Zulfikarali Bhutto, now himself the target of a major political revolt. Bhutto led the opposition to Ayub Khan of the on the most grotesque nationalist hysteria auring the 1965 Indo-Pakistan was which he whipped up during the when he was Ayub's foreign affairs minister. who made the was butto "Fight for notorious a thousand years" speech, fanning the national- ist and chauvinist hysteria that had gripped the country. Tashkent peace agreement Jute therefore blow to public who saw it as a betrayal and 'sellout' world Ayub's propaganda had pressure. A 'patrioțic' movement, located the cities, involving students, doctors, class elements began to take form.

Bhutto denounced as "compromiser" and became the wread or ree movement Coming after ten years of intense political repression, the anti-Ayub nationalist MOvement inevitably took атонает character. demanding an end military rule and a restoration of civil liberties and democracy.

WIDENED BASE

quickly widened winning the support of the working The involvement of oppressed masses nad a qualitative the movement: 107 CI

TAP

and political aspirations economic of the working class, began, for the first time gain Before the became strong (in relation to the present upheaval it was extremely weak), the intervened to demost Byeral Yahyanklal, not her mised Ayub, install another army a quick return to a democratically elected government. However, the forces that had been triggered off during the anti- Ayub struggle, began Industrialisation had been by the through pusned AYub regime, on the basis of the most ruthless suppression of the working class. Strikes were made illegal, unions banned, stagnant wages remained and scores of militants were killed.

The popular democratic movement, embracing the working class Ayub aTer Bhutto's rise had The period from 1968 up to the elections, saw growing demands by workers for job security, wage increases better conditions and the right to organise. Strikes and took place in Taclory almost all industrial areas.

Bhutto, who had spearheaded the nationalist/patriotic quickly latched on to the demands of this growing popular movement.

To intervene in the forthcoming elections he formed the Pakistan People's Party

(PPP)

and raised the slogan of Roti. Kapra Aur Makan' (Bread, Clothing and Shelter), in a determined effort to from the Jake of Tural base in ine landowing The only significant clause in the Land Reform policy was the granting ownership rights longstanding tenant farmers. practice, it resulted in large scale evictions of by Lenass Ine

COW RETS

Thus the PPP which came to power on a wave of urban unrest and working class has militancy, become the party of the big land- co exe In the elections this year, 80% of the PPP candidates came from

LITERVATION.

PART ONE.

established landowner families.

It is the backing of this class and

TILS

WIE

keeping Bhutto in today. power character ot Tune regime became quickly apparent to its working class supporters. While tailing movement and the llldbo adopting its slogans, Bhutto had at the same time raised the expecta- and tions confidence the working people. Putting the lid back on once in needed at least as much repression as his industrial estates in Lahore, factory greater militancy with factory occu- pations awaiting legitimisation and the transition to workers control.

workers of Karachi barri- caded themselves, their housing col- Within the first few months the defusing and destroying the move- jailed (many are still in prison) till the movement was finally crushed.

Bhutto's "Islamic Socialism' was from the body blows they opoortunism makes it possible for him to switch from populist slogans to unashamed persuade the right-wing opposition record this is more of a comment parties than a reversal of policies).

The transition to constitution and legal system would be speeded up, he drinken t and gambling would be forthwith. Now he has clamped down on the cities by imposing major Martial Law, and is trying to dis- himself from the opposition 4417. by raising the bogey of US money and foreign intervention.

Bhutto came to power at a time when world capitalism is sinking deep into crisis. Whereas the Ayub regime could maintain degree of industrialisation, Bhutto was faced with growing unemploy- ment and soaring prices. L'aemployment has particularty hit the industrial workers.

Naton: alisation has neither protected them from redundancies from

LIVE

inflation Instead it has meant simply a Change of management. trom the capitalist to the extremely

IN BRIEF

coupr oureducracy Patronised Dy the PPP. The urban middle classes (partic- ularly the lower middle class) have

EL SALVADOR

been squeezed by inflation to such an extent that their living standards

EIGHT

PEOPLE

WERE

have fallen drastically. killed as May Day demonstrators demanding the release of political

CATALYST

were fired the by

J1 DUHCLO

The elections served as a cata- police of the government fraudu- lyst to trigger off the present move- ment, which has three important features: it is concentrated in the urban areas; the leadership of the

AS WORKERS STAGED THE

movement is in the hands of the PNA-a contemptible rag-bag fratricidal conflict within the ruling careerists right-wingers, and renched religious tanatics; and has no parliamentary debate on the latest programme, organised solely around the slogan "Bhutto out!"

The

PNA

accused Bhutto of policy of the Giscard government.

rigging the elections and demanded The Gaullists gave a vote of confid.

There is no doubt that the PPP gangsters, hand in hand with the unleashed a full scale political crisis.

bureaucracy and police, used al forms of intimidation and

COT-

Certainly, ballot-rigging in urban the smoke was still rising from the areas where opposition was strong- historic Basque capital of Guernica est, resulted in PPP gaining seats a few days after its destruction by This May Day the were expected to lose. But rigging or no rigging, Bhutto would have had an overall victory over Spain as Spanish Trade Unions because he had the big landowners taste of "legality" on his side ensuring the massive granted rural vote. The protest movement has trans- formed itself in stages. Initially, it was restricted to loyal supporters of the

PNA.

Demonstrations would from mosques with demonstrators, including wives and children of PNA supporters, chant- ing religious slogans. main towns in municipal elections.

Since the MMM, previously unrep-

JAILED

startling 30 out of 62 seats in Dec When Bhutto jailed the leader- ship and unleashed the police and his PPP hooligans, other sections of riyal right-wing parties have been the middle class-lawyers, doctors, teachers, students-joined the movement demanding civil liberties and an end to Bhutto's anti-demo- The Polisario Front last week cratic methods. in its scored major success Bhutto continued to gun down fight increasingly successful for nearnd then for the first time the liberation. The war has And then for the national going on since Spain handed trade unions joined in, seen and a call its old phosphate-rich colony of the for strike action resulted in a com- Sahara Morocco and Mauricia On may y joint occupation plete national stoppage. the Front attacked the iron ore killing Mauritanian CenTre Continued next edition. soldiers and abducting six French Most of the 650 French advisors. residents have since been evacuated.

WORKERS

SOCIALIST LEAGUE

The Workers Socialist League is a Trotskyist organisation fighting to build a revolutionary leadership in the working class to lead the mounting opposition to the betrayals of both 'left' and right wing Labour and trade union leaders and the Communist Party, as they attempt to enforce wage control, sackings, speed-up and public service

CULS

As workers take up the struggle against these policies they are weight of forces opposing them to confront To Cook toe sheer political questions. Only with an understanding of the role of the labour bureaucracy and a programme to unite the broadest sections of workers in struggle can a way forward be found.

The Workers Socialist League is the only movement that sets out to do this, fighting consistently in the working class for transitional demands, which go beyond simply trade union militancy to raise the political questions to workers and prepare the forms of organis- ation and the knowledge necessary for the struggle for socialism.

As a result we have been at the forefront of struggles against the cuts, against wage control, for unionisation, and against redundancy.

We have done more than any other tendency to fight the introduction of 'workers' participation' in industry. And we have strongly supp- orted the Campaign for Democracy in the Labour Movement, which has set out to show the link between the reactionary policies of the Social Contract and bureaucratic dictatorship in both the unions and the Labour Party. But our practical struggle for the continuity of the principles and method of Trotsky's Transitional Programme is in no way a task con- fined to Britain. It requires an attention and involvement in the struggles of the working class internationally, and the fight to recon- struct the Trotskyist Fourth International.

So there has been a consistent drive within the WSL to deepen and enrich the movement's understanding of the history and the present crisis of the Fourth International as an essential part of our initiative towards its reconstruction.

We urge all readers who agree on the need for revolutionary lead- ership and the demands we put forward to find out more about the WSL and join our fight in the Labour movement.

EEC PLANS FOOD PRICE CHAOS

Page 4 elections: fruits of wage control Revolution" "A Blue services for the growing number of people who cannot afford cars.

screeched the 'Daily Mail', in The Mail look goes on of delight at the hysteria forward to "tightening up school Tory gains in the sweeping standards"-an end to modern local elections last week.

teaching methods and any hope of And the Mail then proceeded to cecenl caucalion lor workig class youth-and "recruiting more police the battery outane

VICOUS

attacks on the working class which part of intensive law and campaign" order -again foreshad- can now be expected to surge ahead in Tory-controlled local authorities ing all-out attacks workers.

UIL I

covering nine out of ten people in Britain.

NO BASE

First off is an onsiaught on council housing-selling off council None of these have DOLCIeS property to private owners as fast found any base of support within the workers' movement. The Tory as the contracts can be drawn up and thus reducing even further the entirely due the gains are of Callaghan-Steel chance chople of aforiag ool oune thousands betrayals the government. their heads. Seeing first the Labour and then Secondly there is talk of making the coalition government already at parking cheaper in town work similar, though less along CenuC- which is a polite way of describing lines, DarnIL. hlng up a lurlnel swingeing cuts in public transport year of crippling wage controls to all that means slash living standards, oniy a dwind- systells ling band of Labour voters turned of jobs and slashed

COSI

SO THIS IS WHAT THE

"SUMMIT" WAS ALL ABOUT!

MILK

BARLEY

POWDER

MOUNTAIN

MOUNTAIN

OLIVE OIL LAKE

BUTTER

BEEF

MOUNTAIN

MOUNTAIN

KEEP OUT!

D0 FOOD NOT FOR CONSUMPTION

E.E.C.

Labour's Agriculture Minis-

EEC,

so their food import prices would not go down. ter John Silkin has had to And those whose currencies fell resort to barefaced lying to in value would get a subsidy to defend his food prices agree- control rises in food prices.

the rest of the ment with The system designed deal to Common Market. with small fluctuations in exchange rates, in fact operated while some It will, he claimed, increase the cost of living in Britain by only one (especially CUrICNCCS

OTELIS.I

pound) were enormously devalued third of one percent. others and (especially the West In fact there ate claTeeeaons German mark) went up. EEC rules and Silkin's latest why The result has been not the deal are going to give a giant up- intended small compensatory pay- mard push to food prices in Britain subsis y trom este Gere any ot over the next year. subsidy from Germany 1978 comes the in January Britain final stage in the equalisation of all lood imoorted Britain from the Common Market.

British food prices to the higher It is now running at over

EEC

price levels. This is part of million a day. Britain's phased adoption of the EEC: economic rules agreed during

DEVALUE

EEC food price levels The only way to eliminate this

1 HOS

raised at last subsidy would be for Britain to Tasesete pound" by as De=ias meeting by a further 3½%.

"green deve e Sisin agreed much as the real been also to devalue pound has devalued since 1971 (about 40%); pound" the "Eee= The "green for farm this would raise the of -wi -=--:

SHICL

F35 set uF ir 19:1 to stabilise food imported food in Britain by the prices ihroughout Europe at a time same 40%. •te= eustarge rates between the The other anti-working class

EEC

sensitive Ecopean currencies began governments are changing ever Jay because of the enough to realise that this would ittemational monetary crisis.

murder the Social Contract, so their Councies ahose currencies went demands are less extreme.

PHOTO: Chris Davies, (Report).

Healey support their traditional out to party. There seems little hard evidence from such a low turn-out to prove numbers large former fact Labour voters are in voting Tory. Far more likely is that Tory has been galvanised into support ballot active crosses,

DOX

wille Labour voters have registered their feelings about the Callaghan-Steel coa ltion government stayıng away from the polls. In the Ashfield by-election, for Tory candidațe Smith example, who ridiculously claimed was supported by miners was forced to cancel his campaign tour of the Colliery after • Bentınck

TIN CN

WHEAT

MOUNTAIN

WINE LA

devaluation (and so a 2.9% increase in imported food prices).

But there will now be pressure for more. All these measures will put up the price of food and is likely to add at least an extra 22% onto the rate of intlation which is already rapidly approaching 20% a year.

SUBSIDY

In "exchange" for all this Silkin got the EEC to agree to a tempor- on butter in Britain ary subsidy which may for a few months keep its price Sp a pound below what it would have been. Silkin's interest to lie 1s in effects of this deal be- about the. the truth were told. wals would be one more shovel-full of earth into the grave of the Social Contract That is why Silkin held out for a better deal until the last possible the point, accord- moment- -up to EEC Agricultural Com- ing to the Gunderlach, where he

JUN ULCI

threatened to destroy the whole

C.A.P.

And

C.A.P.

… lo aestroy the Common virtually means Market itself, since 95% of the EEC's budget and three-quarters of the time of its Council of Ministers

HRATAA

being humiliated the same Dy miners who stayed away from the voting booths.

"GRASS"

He was shouted down whenever he tried to speak. The most popular slogan of the workers was "miners eat grass" -a comment attributed to the Tory Winston Churchill when informed of the miserable living samaas ommea. But on the other hand, Labour Weekly spills the beans on the state of the local Labour Party, admit- ting that 'there was little or no Party organisation there.

1 nere was only a 15% canvass and very few Party workers indeed". policy. The essence of that policy is the guaranteed purcaase high prices by the EEC of all farm produce. This benefits the big agricultural capitalists receive vast sub- sidies and produces high food prices in the shops which keeps down the standard of living of European workers. The difference between the huge amount farmers produce and the smaller amount consumers walt afford buy is acumulated to surplus stocks by the EEC.

This is what causes the famous butter and meat "mountains", the win and olive oil "lakes" and so on-all expensively stored in vast refrigerated warehouses around Europe while millions of the world's population starve.

BEDROCK

The political reason for this economic insanity is that the

C.A.P.

was the price which the French has government always demanded for supporting the EEC.

And that is because, aside from benefiting the big agricultural cap- italists, the C.A.P. keeps in business tens of thousands of smal rrench farmers who constitute the bedrock ot political subport to the reaction- Gaullist regimes of the last 20 ary y eols. The

C.A.P.

is producing huge contradictions between the capitai- ist EEC governments. The West German government opposes it because the bulk of the multi-million pound subsidies come from West Germany. The British Labour government has. launched a verbal Ldlli Dalen it because the implemen. dodlisl tation of the

C.A.P.

in Britain means a further sharp workers' living standards and that threatens the policy of the Social Contract by intensifying opposition to wage control.

HYPOCRITICAL

But Silkin's "campaign" against the

C.A.P.

is largely hypocritical since the end of the C.A.P. would mean the end of "green currencies" and West German subsidles British food imports. That would involve new cuts in the living of British standards

"I\ARTANA

SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 11 May, 1977 Callaghan The reformists' own post also revealed the main cause of crushing defeat.

"There some local feeling was that an NUM candidate should have been selected, but more than this was a very strong feeling in the pits against the Government's economic policy. The reaction of miners on the doorstep talk of Phase Three and the Social Contract bodes ill for the immediate future It was this combination of often moribund or demoralised local battv organisations tied to abank- rupt and treacherous policy from leadership une coannonisis In une that guaranteed a sure-fire defeat for Labour. But these cuts would be cuts that boosted not profits of the British capitalists (the intention of the Social Contract) but the strength of West German capital.

WITHDREW

Clearly, the interests of workers in Britain can best be served by the immediate withdrawal of Britain from the EEC. To protect workers in food prices, the fight would have Linked to the level of infation as taken wages to be determined by elected trade union wollHLLCo But the struggle to replace the

EEC

with a socialist United States Europe include to 01 in its programme demands to win the small farmers of subsidised Europe to the side of the working class, including provision of interest free credit for the collectivisation of small farms, through the nation- alisation of the banks and credit institutions.

TYNDALE —

SACKINGS

THE SIX WILLIAM TYNDALE

teachers, witch-hunted by the Tory media, have now been sacked from their jobs. The NUT leadership has risen to a new level of betrayal by the these sackings on supporting grounds that the six took 'unoffic- ial' strike action. their suspension of Following Little Ilford School teachers at from the union for the same reason, this move throws down the gauntlet eo ecat n ache ahd danend jobs.

defend cocaiu The bureaucracy is ready never such einsume Lnal lealeIs teach again. Stalinist-dominated North Teachers Association has London made a belated protest on behaif of the Tyndale 6, having refused to support them in the past 'change of heart' is to If this have any meaning, a campaign must now be mo unted throughout the NUT to demand that the leadership reverse its position. be

THIUL

directed toward the preparation of industrial action that can defend „ımcod țocar n țe ț!]e

PRO-PRENTICE COALITION

Let's face it, if they could see us like this who'd vote for us?

And it is the refusal of the Labour leaders to tackle problems of unemployment, housing and services that has ensured Sociall the basis of the increased racist vote which was collected by the fascists of the National Front. It is conspicuous that in those areas where the Labour Party went onto the offensive against the NF, distributing which propaganda exposed the fascist, anti-union role of the Front, the fascists received markedly less support. The fascism struggle connects in this way with the fight throughout the labour move- for leadership ment principled putting forward a cleat socialist programme. The situation in Newham North East Labour Party has taken a new turn. The 'left' dominated Labour National Executive Committee has suspended all Newham's officers and taken over the running of the local party. This unprecedented, not Dul unexpected has predictably been hailed as a 'step forward' in the Stalinist Morning Star.

It is nothing of the sort. Such a move can only strengthen the hopes of MP Reg Prentice that he can hold on to his career despite the

DEASON FREED

The three of charges wounding a police officer laid against Right to Work march leader John Deason formed a frame-up so flimsy that even the courts could not hold it together-that was the real guilty' of the "not meaning verdict reached last Wednes- day. Certainly Deason's case had been widely taken up throughout union movement-the large number of trade union banners on the lobby of the Old Bailey on May 4 indicated that. But the clearly unplanned and highly embarassing way in which ine judge was forced to stop the case almost as soon as it had begun, direct the jury acquit Deason was more testimony to inadequately prepared story on the part of Sergeant Leslie McClyment, admitted he could not for certain identify Deason the "assailant") fairness of British "justice" With their customary opponer- ism, the SOciziET Pari the the "Right io campaign kept dallians on the line on silent the police peddled in recent weeks in their paper. Socizis: Worker. Face to face with a line of these vicious hirelings of the capitalist

LAW & ORDEP

TIM

This is why the local election results confirm the need to bring down the Lib-Lab coalition govern- ment and to fight for an emergency re-call Labour Party Conference to remove the Callaghan-Healey lead- ership and elect a new leadership.

Of course the 'left' Labour MPs, frightened for their will careers, continue to avoid this fight just as they have gone along with the coal- ition deal. But the current electoral climate shows that whatever the 'lefts' Labour think, the Party's political course is changed, there will be no more than a hand- ful of Labour MPs to pick un the pieces after the General Election. opposition of Newham North East Labour Party. The NEC has refused to do any- thing until now about the situation in Newham. It has stood by whilst a Tory the party, Julian Murray Lewis, has disrupter Newham's right to hold meetings the of the through use courts. Far from defending the right of Party Labour hold members meetings and organise their affairs without the permission of . Tory the

NEC

judges, has simply watched them do their dirty work and now moves in to pick up the pieces. state, the SWP shouted "Jail the policemen, John Deason". not They set aside for the moment the idea that the •working class lad and are just and dropped the implicit support for the police claim that has featured pay in their press. But now Deason is free, we can expect the line to be resumed.

PHOTO: Socialist W'orker.

HEALTH STEWARDS

JOIN TO FIGHT CUTS

The potential of CLASH, Cecilia Forrest, COHSE steward the Committee at the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson London Area Stewards in the Health hospital reported that as a result of the work-in which has been Service, as an instrument for existence now for over six months, fighting the cuts was shown the hospital was still open.

again on May 4, when leaders The of the "open importance

NHS"

of all the major fight backs in the demand adopted at the CLASH founding the London area over the past conference was shown when Mrs. brought few months were Forrest reported that a sympathetic together to report on and dis- who had been looking accountant. cuss their actions. at the AHA's costings for the EGĂ

CAMDEN

TRADES

COUNCIL

Angela Phillins (IFL)

COHSE

PHOTO

SAYS THE

EGA

REMAINS

ON SITE

The EGA occupation had found that according to the AHA's records, salarięs the at hospital were on average 50% above those received by the staff.

According to the records, the average wage technicians was OI £6,300, whereas in fact the average was about £3,500. The AHA records also showed It has now stuck Reg Underhill consultants earning excess of (who just happens to be a hardened £30,000 anti-communist witch-hunter) in more overestimate, whilst preposterous charge and raised belated campaign to raise the fines imposed running

LICIUUCUHLRE

nospital s costs were the salaries of 4 engin- on the ex-Chairman and ex-Secre- tary of the Party. fact spend less than 20% of their time at the

EGA

EXPULSION

Whether this is an attempt by the AHA to prove how

WHO IT-

If the NEC 'lefts' like Mikardo omic the hospital is, or whether and Heffer had given one spark of the excess cash has disappeared into leadership by asserting the right of paying for the admin- perks for Labour Parties to operate without istrators is an question, open interference by the court; if they now being investigated. which is had called for the expulsion of the Mrs. Forrest also appealed for right wingers like Lewis, then there for the round-the-clock would have been a massive response the EGA, especially picket at in defence Newham in Labour bank holiday periods Parties and trade unions throughout With three of the

DISARL

the country. medical registrars due to leave the The courts could have been hospital during June, the staff fear forced to take their hands off the that the AHA will use the absence workers' movement the same of medical care as a final excuse to way that they were in 1972 when the remove remaining patients. the five jailed Pentonville dockers An important repercussion of were freed by mass labour move- the EGA work-in was revedied di ment action. Chris Potter

(NALGO)

who Without policies such reported the progress of the work- evely Labour Party which seeks to in at Hounslow hospital, now in its remove a treacherous right-wing MP second month. will find the courts used to grind The date set for the Hounslow down its struggle. closure is August 31, and the JSSC have plans to a round-the-

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£1.00 plus 20p p&p All available from Folrose Books, 31, Dartmouth Park Hill, London NW5 1HR clock picket from July 1.

Ernie Taylor (NUPE) reported on the attempt to close the Weir Hospital South Maternity London. Over the past few years, he said, there had been talk of moving the maternity facilities to St. Georges by 1980 or 1982. Nevertheless two wards had been renovated recently, only for them to be taken by the administration for offices.

Since that time hundreds of of been thousands pounds spent in improving the buildings for the administrators, including the landscaping of the grounds!

The last straw had come when management had taken priority for service in the canteen over the nurses and medical staff.

Now the AHA say patients will be moved out by July. The main was that the nowever, union leadership had done nothing to fight the cuts apart from a one day protest here and there.

"My members are refusing to strike on May 11, and who can blame them?" he said. He went on to report how his full time official had spoken at a meeting building for May 11 action, that 100 hospitals saying London had closed. "If I was an official I would be ashamed to stand up and say that my members" said Taylor.

(NUPE,

Bill Gedes, Hammer smith) reported attempts by on arguing that it was uneconomic to employ a baker. sinister development was David Blane (ASTMS, Charing Cross). In his AHA there had been threats that student nurses would be sacked on qualifying. The unions had resisted this, and management had attempted sooth them by saying that those students on work-permits would be first to go. Colin Kenny, CLASH Secretary He and several other speakers pointed out that mangement's policy

TUC

was consistent with demands for a reduction in permits, but that such a solution was not racist, only serving to divide trade unionists, but also management to implement chased cuts on the one hand and speed up on the other. Following the showing of a film on the EGA work-in, the confer- ence discussed arrangements for May 11. colin Kenny CLASH secretary proposed that CLASH should hel organise morning rallies at the EGA and at Hounslow before joining the main march at Hyde Park. Rather than just follow the main march in this political and physical route to nowhere, committee

CLASH

proposed that should attempt to lead section of the march to the

TUC,

demand action from the trade union leaders in the fight against the cuts.

In this way, the day of action could be changed from a demoral- ising event into at least an attempt to give a political direction to the fight against the cuts. Any shop steward in the NHS who would like further information about CLASH should write Kennyirology, Colin CLASH Secretary, Dept. St. Mary's Medical School, Praed St., London W2.

REVOLUTION

1871: YEAR OF THE

PARIS COMMUNE

1871, as Marx Paris in "plain workingmen for first time dared to infringe the governmental Hege of their "natural eriors". , and, under circum- ace of unexampled difficul performed their work destly. conscientiously and ciently" ut even before it was officially ared on March 28, the seeds of Commune's defeat had begun erminate. Already, in the week *een the assumption oi power the Central Committee and the Lions, oppor- unrepcalaule ty had been lost for a military ck the disorganised mailles forces. Then, during the election paign, more was lost. Although Committee of the Twenty indissements an alliance oi the king class political forces dom- ed by the trade unions and the anational, produced a manifesto ch in Lissagaray's words points tinent in the tion was largely conducted in of personalities and not of as dollie. The Commune arrived in power bout a clear mandate. And one e which was particularly absent : a plan to present to the rest of As Lissagaray says: 'lf they had wanted to change revolution from a communal they ought to • a national one. a said so, boldly set forth theit programme demon- attempt".

VACILLATED

vacillated The leaders for presenting any pro- ath DeTOIC all. And to the rest e ame at eemed to offer to the rest of unifying ace not a means struggle on a national Dasis Dul ply a plan for duplicates of the immune Paris tACH ividual municipality. Meanwhile, blutions in large several olner es (Lyons, St. Etienne, Creuzot, seilles, Toulouse and Narbonne) been crushed one by one by Most of the measures implemen- by the Commune reflected mediate rather than ught out programme. The pay- at of debts was orce again sus- ded and all rents due up to July rescinded were completely ther than delayed as they had in before). Measures were taken to abolish vnshops. ger permitted to fine workers. In ticular industries reforms aking conditions were enacted- instance, bakers were no longer cuired to work at night. its later days the Commune evolving plans for the system- conversion of the abandoned tories of the capitalists to be trade verted

LIU!

¡trol into workers' co-operatives.

FUNDAMENTAL

These co-operatives were to have brity in all state contracts. Plans made public works grammes, employment infor- tion centres and other measures assist the unemployed. Most of these reforms emanated in the most revolutionary of the mune's Commissions, the Com- sion for Labour and Exchange, of whose members were mbers of the International. Its d was Leo Frankel, a Hungarian, some very fundamental reforms women's rights were ting posed by one of the best organ- consistent political and most anisations which sprang to life ing the Commune, the Associa- i of Women for the Defence of is and Aid to the Wounded.

This, like the Commission of bour and Exchange, was almost arely led by socialist revolution- its principle driving force was revolutionary, Elizabeth Polish aitrieff. Her role was an example ine generous internationaism of Commune which in ish Hungarian nian revolutionaries played lead- roles and were accepted by the asian proletariat as their true arades. The number of reforms carried or projected by the Commune emarkable in view of its short and the fact that it was in a anent state of war.

FRENCH

May 16. 1871: The official Commune ceremony at which the statue of Napoleon I in the Place Vendome was torn down. Marx's remark of 1852 was "But when the Imperial mantle more literally prophetic than he had in mind: finally falls on the shoulders of Louis Bonaparte, the bronze statue of Napoleon will crash from the top of the Vendome column".

Yet at the same time the leaders hae connect the seizing upon the the enemy-the refrained measures to take inose Council of The the which might have given them the Ireasury. the only revol- opportunity to enact their reforms.

Commune was Government that refused Lissagaray once again puts the utionary While abolishing do the point sharply: "The members of the Council Versails, wey be, which budgel - in their childish impetuosity, had was at Versailles, bent their not seen the real hostages staring Beese, the bas at the the bour- the budget of the knees to them in the face-the bank, the civil and the the domains

TOURICI

UNEQUAL

suitors' fund. These were the tender which to hold the bour- points by Without risking single The timidity, along with the the Commune bad ony increasing administrative disorgan- maD, its hand and bid stretch isation of the commune which it Versailles negotiate commit tried to solve by handing its powers • OT suicide. on vav | to a dictatoria Commit- The timid delegates of 26 March tee of Public Safety), meant that were not the men to dare this.

. in the forces of the Commune were Versaillese army unequal to the military attack from allowing the march off the Central Committee the Versailles armies. had committed a heavy fault; that The indecision of the Commune allowed of the Council was incomparably had Thiers more damaging. All serious rebels bring the armies and the provinces. Bismark gave trom his full cooperation by releasing fight prisoners 1UJ Versailles. Paris managed to hold out until May 21. In the preceding six weeks the Commune forces several forays against Versailles but these were completely unsuccessful.

shot The wrote hundreds of the prisoners they captured. On May 21 the Versailles army breached the walls of the city and civil for a week the waged fiercely of Paris. the streets Every block was tenaciously and courageously defended by the Com- munards-men, women and The physical heroism of the in this working week historically unprecedented. It could be defeated by the brute terror of Thiers' army. week the Commune During the soldiers shot 63 hostages including the Archbishop of Paris. It was the measure ever only OI Inis Commune. It the has This article, the last of with dealing two parts the events and lessons of the Paris Commune, the continuation of our of articles on the series revolutionary history of France which began with the 1789 Revolution. We went on to examine the Napoleonic conquests, and then to look at the processes involved in the 1848 Revolution By Bob Sutcliffe earned the Communards the title of "butchers' the bourgeois ' histories. 'demo- the the Un other bourgeoisie cratic, freedom-loving' on the Commune in took revenge one of the of most savage orgies bourewis viole in to 30,000 20,000 nanween were killed in the street Parisians hostage killed fighting. For every by the Commune the forces of murdered 500 people.

'HUMANE

Prisoners were taken oft to camps cattle In the following thee years wagons. 13,000 sentenced to over were periods imprisonmnet depor- OI tation to the colonies, hard labour.

The convictions only finally 1880 general ended ir Thiers told amnesty was granted. the National Assembly that 'the order and human- cause of tustice. ity has triumphed'. "humane' bourgeoisie had extinguished generation of

"The Paris Commune of 1871 was the first, as yet weak, historic attempt of the working memory of the Commune in spite of the extremely limited character of its the immaturity of its participants, caperence. programme, the lack of unity among its leaders, the indecision of their plans, the hopeless panic of its executive organs, and the terrifying defeat fatally precipitated by all of these.

words of Lavroy, 'the first, though still pale, dawn of the proletarian republic'". Leon Trotsky, The Defence of Terrorism, 1920.

"The multiplicity of interpretations to which the Commune has been subjected, and the multiplicity of interests which construed it in their favour, show that it was a thoroughly expansive political form, while all previous forms of government had been emphatically repressive.

Its true secret was this. It was essentially a working class government, the product of the struggle of the producing against the appropriating class, the political form at last discovered under which to work out the economic emancipation of labour..

Workingmen's Paris, with its Commune, will be forever celebrated as the glorious harbinger of a new society. Its martyrs are enshrined in the great heart of the working class. Its exterminators, history has already nailed to that eternal pillory from which all the prayers of their priests will not avail to redeem them".

Karl Marx, The Civil War in France, Manifesto of the General Council of the International Workingmen's Association on the Paris Commune, issued 30 May 1871, two days after the final crushing of the Commune.

rance's boldest proletarian revolutionary ghters. But they were unable to the State. tinguish the political meaning of necessity he Paris Commune. Paris in 1871 was not the first they ace or time that the working class id fought independently for its vn interests. every revious workers had fught revolutionary battles only to ad the fruits of victory instantly from atched their nanas by tionary ction of the bourgeoisie claiming anarchism. be progressive. The Commune lasted only for the it was the first he that the working cass had the lesson that it assert its indepen- ince to the point of establishing Though large own state. look at the Paris said mmune', Engels 1871, bat was the dictatorship of the pletariat'. Cut can

BALANCE SHEET

geoisie treachery It was in drawing the balance class. eet of the Commune that Marx Despite • Engels put forward for the first its complete form class to impose its supremacy. We cherish the the confusion of its We cherish in the Commune in the Trotsky eventually lined up Blanc, heartedly behind Ene IlIst time that there love of freedom. emience the need for permanent revolution is over 100 years old. and Spain Italy where the parties of Stalinism and reformism the labour movement. the bourgeoisie has no scruples in combatting the threat of revolution and the ending of its own power.

UNPREPARED

The peacelli today any 1871. condemning the National Guard for Stalinist lesson arms, were decisively. The burning of the guillotine Bolsheviks fought to the the commented, socialist analysis of of the the _aemonstralmg for the working class to smash the bourgeois state apparatus showed how revolutionary socialism differed from reformism.

And by pointing to the way in

CICA

which the construction of socialism required a new form of transitional of the workers. state, the dictatorship of the prol- etariat, they differentiated revolu- socialism clearly from The lesson of the Commune that proletariat could take power ists ine lesson that it mplem so i Must do so "socialist" counter-revolution is to be avoided.

sections Engels. petty bourgeoisie in Paris saw that their interests lay with the working class and joined the revolution, the political leaders of the 'progressive' commune and sections o1 the bour- acted with unallayed than towards working decisive new their democracy the left democrat of working class. democrats of the Versailles assembly, like Louis uais than as ms or a party. As Engels later said, national not raise a finger to make the Commune". Nonetheless, he went on, it was 'unquestionably the of the International' in the sense that it was the first great struggle of the independent against the bourgeoisie. International organise a solidarity with the throughout Thus nervene ne European the socialist, Marx

LIUL

from the leaders who The the life been spread effected. whole- Thiers sarate savage vengeance. The workers learned for was no progressive section of the bourgeoi- sie: that the bourgeoisie's fear of revolution was always greater than These lessons about the indep- of the working class and Yet today is still treacherously denied by the leadership of the working class in anywhere and continue to dominate The Commune also shows that capitalist class permits no working class Members of the Commune before the Council of War more than it did Lissagaray said taneously facilitate urgently ment damages both mind and body.

destroys man's spiritual qualities.

final world-wide strike of labour against capital.

reformist and The association therefore wants: (1) Equal pay for equal hours of work.

to them international interests of the producers. (...)

Faced by the present events, civil war, as the out for them. It was, as Marx 'kindheartedness' endangering the Commune."

10/1. The state had not, as the anar- chists claimed, been destroyed. of new form had discovered, the dictatorship of the proletariat, which was the starting point for the final withering away of the state. Lenin explained in State and Revolution: "The Commune, have appears replaced smashed state machine fuller democracy: abolition of the its standing army; all officials to be running, elected and subject to recall. But as revolutionary a matter of fact this 'only' signifies a gigantic replacement of for the institutions by other institutions of fundamentally different This is exactly a case of "quantity transformed being democracy introduced as fully and «The Inter- consistently as is at al conceivable, is transformed from bourgeois into proletarian democracy; from the state (= special force for spiritual child supression of a particular class) into something which is no longer the state proper"• dictatorship i working class of the does not consist only prolelallal in this extension of democracy; it 'simultaneously ... imposes a series of restrictions on the freedom of the oppressors, the exploiters, the was to capitalists'. The Commune, partly movement of if not entirely through faults of its Commune own, failed to impose those restric- wine tions. This, like its other deficiencies.

struggle in Paris from the failures of the Commune's leadership. The absence of the failure to take programme, decisive and united measures was not all betray the fact that a working asserted, class party with organised the objective of leading the working class to independent power had not socialism been built.

DECISIVE CHANGE

As Trotsky wrote: 'The Paris proletariat had no such party. The bourgeois socialists of the who abounded in the Commune looked up to Heaven Lity awaited a miracle of an oracle. And while they were thus hesitating, the people groped despaired because of the vacillation of some had it and the fantasies of others... If in preserved, could September 1870 the French prolet- ariat had been led by a centralised party of revolutionary action, the history not only of France, but of "The setting up of [free producer] associations would put an end to the exploitation and enslavement of Labour by Capital... It would simul- needed reforms, in both production and product relationships to include the following points: a) variety of work in each trade-a continually repeated manual move- b) a reduction in working hours-physical exhaustion inevitably c) an end to all competition between male and female workers-their interests are identical and their solidarity is essential to the success of the (2) A local and international federation of various trade sections in order to ease the movement and exchange of goods by centralising the with poverty increasing at an alarming rate, and seeing the unwarranted halt in all work, it is to be feared that the women of Paris, who have become momentarily revolutionary in spirit, may as a result of the continual privation, relapse into the more or less reactionary and passive position which the social order of the past marked That would be a disastrous step backwards which would endanger the revolutionary and international interests of the working class, thereby Letter to the Commission of Labour and Exchange from E. Dimitrieff Secretary General, Executive Commission of the Association of Women for the Defence of Paris and Aid to the Wounded, late April or early May all mankind, would have taken a different direction" been Such a decisive change of direc- tion came 47 years later when the proletariat took power in Russia.

The world war, which acted as midwife to the Russian Revolution its origins back directly to the war between France and Prussia in 1870, out of which therefore, came the Paris Commune. the But Russia the proletariat 'only" by was led by a party which had over- come the deficiencies which led to the defeat of the Parisian workers.

In both these therefore, the story of the Paris Commune is certain not merely one of heroic failure. It is a landmark on the route to the type. of the objective and sub- bulaig jective for world quality': socialist revolution.

Page 8

FOR CHILE

A REVIEW BY RICHARD BROOKS

On the eve of the crucial 1973 congressional election an interviewer takes his micro- through two massive phone political rallies and asks two questions. Who is going to win? And what will happen then? One rally is that of the right National Party. The demon- wing strators cars covered 1n placards and guarantee a two-thirds which will right wing majority enable them Allende, to impeach and the "Marxist" President. (restore "order" in Chile.

The other rally is that of Popular Unity. working-class tally beer, and with songs, Ice portraits of Allende. Everyone here too, is certain of full of gratitude for the victory, that Popular limited Frontism has brought them.

"What But here the question, then?" is will happen answered with less certainty The atmosphere of both rallies is festive, confident but tense. Late

THE BATTLE

on the night of the election the streets of Santiago are jammed with cars as, with a barrage of headlights and horns, the bourgeoisie celebrate first looks like what al victory. the These scenes are starting point of the three part documen- tary film "The Battle of Chile".

in Chile between was filmed the April 1973 elections and the coup in September.

CONCENTRATION CAMP

The Jorge main cameraman, Muller Siva to a con- 1974 and the centration camp in military junta has since then denied all knowledge of him. One of his assistants, an Argen- tinian, actually films his own death.

of film which „picco typifies the power ot the docu- mentary as a whole, a power stem- from the intensity the ming political crisis itself and the courage of a film crew caught up in that crisis. military Demonstrations, oeuvres, interviews house- (Top) Photographer records his own death, (above) still from film political and politicians, WIYEs government meetings and intrigues are recorded with startling immediacy The film edited and was produced Cuba and that the technical quality of likely the film derives as much from this of the qualities as 1C|| individual photographer. The Cuban film industry, like its was born out Russian counterpart, of the revolution when The stale poured finance into 'the art form of the people and of the future" But in Cuba, on the other hand, sudden initial liber- there was no ation of a highly educated class, less of a sudden explosion of cultural production as in the early years of and less Revolution, outright bureaucratic suppression afterwards. The Cuban film industry was for the nurtured by state Tne purposes of the state.

CHANNELLED

Creative elled. has hasn Care.

been fully channelled. grow and experiment allowed new film making but in that of political do um santiago fare.

sources fo techniques an de stoc- Both the strengths and the weak- nesses of the 'Battle for Chile" arise out the world, has worked hard to other policy would under- mine the authority of the world's policies threaten to bring new and brilliant contribution to this cover Ine For the author of the script the drawn lessons to be from the exclusively material of the bourgeoisie, not activities those of the leaders of the workers parties. The first film, "The Insurrection Bourgeoisie' of traces various tactics used by the Chilean undermine Allende's ruling class. to government after their failure to do so in the elections. Stalinists and Left Like all Social Democrats, the scriptwriter waxes indignant at the ruling class's play by its own rules and refusal to the ownership of its use means of production and its control of the state machinery to subvert an elected government. takes us through the armoury of the bourgeoisie: hoard- ing, fascist demonstrations, riots of right wing students, lock-outs manipulation of wages struggles and finally the army.

SELF-DEFENCE

At each stage the film shows the determined struggle of workers to combat these moves: the setting up of neighbourhood food and price boaras to of industrial 'belts" (forms of and self-defence committees).

Behind all this is the pathetic picture of Allende, attempting to bourgeoisie's own instru- use the ments to fight its attacks.

OII

Thus, the when right wing passed a constitutional amendment to prevent the expropriation of fac- tories Allende declared the amend- the case to took ment lleeai and a "Constitutional Court".

When the bosses paralysed road transport, workers commandeered bezan but Allende transport themselves, assured objected and "patriotic" bosses that "this is not government. Socialist It Is revolutionary national ment".

ARMY PLANS

Finally. when the plans of the take power were plain to army to child every SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday, 11th May, 1977.

of and sections Allende's Socialist Party were

PRESS

calling out for arms, Allende invited into his government t «demo- only but Christian Democrats cratic Army officers" , and preached avoid moderation to ."provoking." undemocratic officers.

GANG

The film cannot help but show this contradiction: the courage and self-organisation of the working class and the abject cowardice of its leadership.

ABSENCE

What it, cannot show is demon- strated crucially as an absence: the absence of a force capable of resol contradiction, of breaking ving the When Sunday Telegraph' class from its trad- the working sends a reporter looking for a itional leadership and directing its strength towards the defeat of the office then its Labour Party bourgeoisie odds on that the Telegraph is Within the film there is explicit 'on the way to defend some of Allende and right wing absentee who is in Popular Unity: in particular, the powerful speech of danger of being kicked out or long and worker who demands at a public that some disaster has over- meeting that Allende mobilise the taken the Labour Party. working ciass to defend him instead Rowan set out for When Ivan of relying on bourgeois forces who Kirby in Ashfield it was of course never will the second kind of story they were 'How long," he asks, "will you the triumphant tour wait?" The after-a tell us to criticism, wake of one of the biggest electoral however, always places itself within upsets in recent British political the terms of Popular Unity's history. argument. But the Sunday Telegraph, presents the situation as if It taking as it does an unequivocal indeed been the Allende class position, revealed, in a way that would have been unacceptable Sunday Times OI the the to Guardian some of the real truths behind the Labour wipe-out.

After finding the headquarters Rowan inter- with some difficulty viewed the few people he found inside. "The miners get stuck into the 'On the road from Ashfield result. only one Hucknali there window poster for the Labour man there were four lads in here.

I said you've got to turn out and will, they've The Tories vote. lads But the nought else to do. wouldn't budge?... "A young miner says: "Labour governments have given us nothing.

We've had to strike to get anything.

Butcher Pinochet. They've given us nothing.' Another party worker says: "I thought we'd with a reduced majority champion of the working class, but get about 5,000 votes.' had begun backsliding and making "But if it was just ordinary by- mistakes. Criticism is intended to have election apathy direction;

WONG

help him change done, wouldn't they?" asks Rowan that he can change There was "a small silence' It was "No it wasn't apathy. The film cannot grasp or present mutiny". Popular Unity as a burden on the which must actually be cast off, Worker of the middle classes treats before the working class can defend class family with the reverance that because there was no party in Chil clearly fighting for this policy.

factory worker who has discovered that the Social Contract is not a therefore could not be shown on "How the middle film; and it would be surprising if classes cope with falling standards" the Daily Cuban state were to suggest that told a story of such hardship and total rejection of Communist Party suffering that only the most haro hearted comrades could have failec powel. to reach for their handkerchiefs.

(The precondition for this in Cuba is doing bed to grasp the absence that is demon- in comes-squeeze has also which it portrays, the film takes on do-it-yourself the shape of a classical tragedy, reconstructing a series of inevitable second film ends, with the destruc- father of two who spent 15 years tion of the Moneda Palace: under a training for his post as a consultant barrage of 20th century shells and neurosurgeon at Walsgrave hospital, 19th century palace Coventry, said yesterday: DOIDs, dignified and even heroic- looks provides B "Mrs Susan Booth but defenceless and Bat their f25,500 home in the "The Battle for Chile" presents village of Barford Warwickshire.

the Chilean working class It turns out that the Booths are similar way. no longer able to leave their measly €25,500 home for annual holidays

SFARTO

abroad. And this is because of the Social Contract. You may have thought that was something to do with holding. back the wages of the working class. Not a bit of it. Its the middle class that

_LENDLI-

has really suffered. Take Mr.

# SOCALISTA

Booth: should although income £10,689. "People like us have given a year for Britain as we were asked to do by the government but we're begin- the sacrifice will have to last longer ning to wonder how much brain generation ago surgeon in this country could have expected to sweep into his hospital car park in a Rolls, of a Jaguar, at

SLL'S FIGHT FOR

The Newsletter

UNITY IN

ACTION

The Budget Throughout the mobilisations against the Wilson government's "In Place Strife' White Paper in 1969, the Socialist Labour League (forerunner of the now degenerated Workers Revolutionary Party) set out to establish the best possible preparation and co-ordination of the protest strikes that were called. For this they sharply criticised Communist Party, who had refused to mobilise fully even for their own call for one day strike action on February 27. Alan Thornett, then deputy Motors, Neward at WorrIe Cowley, quoted in the SLL'S was paper, the Newsletter, sayıng that: "We cannot afford fake cam- paigns. So far I haven't seen a single leaflet in Oxford for the call for a stoppage rebruary Li supported by the Communist Party. If this is being called without pre- paration then dangerous 18 fraud". In this way the SLL was able to point to the CP's attempts to use the call for a stoppage on February 27 as a diversion - while, as the first showed, Lms article

SLL

members and supporters Liverpool docks, Cowley and else- where fought for strike action on that day. In other words here was a which the SLL, unlike today's IMG, never sacrificed its political beginning. Not nearly enough work independence to the Stalinists.

These preparations. went Into Ene

COMMENT

strikes were a containment of the struggle The Political Committee of the And on March 8, the Newsietter Socialist League believes colcalcu. Le DOI "The strike and demonstrations that the stage of the fight next on February 27 were good as far as against the anti-union laws should they went. But they be a one day strike on May 1.

were only a

TARGET:

A WEEKLY

PAPER!

Marxist

WEEI!

END

ALLOUT MAYI

NO ANTI-UNION LAWS!

WILSON MUST GO!

Stalinists play down anti-union struggle Bankers worried : on Euro-dollar crisis The May Day demonstration in Liverpool We will work to make this a success, and we are open now. always, to suggestions which ally come from cne ur or otners in relation the possibility of a suitable date being selected for the demonstration" From then the SLL campaigned fiercely for May 1-a campaign After sixty editions of the fortnightly 'Socialist Press' a national aggregate meeting of the Workers Socialist League voted this weekend to produce the first weekly edition in October of this year. A resolution

WSL

from the Committee National classed fact that the the limitations of fortnightly publication holding back the development of League, and restricting the influence of the movement in the mounting struggles of the working class. Workers are faced with a historic of While criSis leadership the Labour leaders do a coalition deal with the Liberals and pave the elec- toral road for the return of a Tory the TUC bureaucrats are hell-bent on imposing a third wage control the working class. And at shop floor level a whole layer of former militants have been sucked into management toles through "workers participation" schemes. and collaboration with full-time officials As workers move into struggle now they fight both the employers and these treacherous "leaders" The need for a new leadership with a principled programme of struggle is continually raised. In response to this crisis of leadership our has This is the second part of an article br Di Parkin on the leading role of the Trotskyists of the Socialist Labour League in the strugele against the Labour government's anti-union Bill, prompted as a reply the to Group to falsify the record on this struggle, ATUA [industrial wing of the SLL] massive opposition "In Place of Strife" attempted to (Red Weekly, 17.3.77, p4.). This concluding part shows that precisely the opposite was in fact the case which the CP did not take up until very late. On April 15, the Newsletter reported that the CP had voted

BLMC

a proposal that be brought out on strike in opposition the White Paper on May 1.

NO STRIKE CALL

The April 12 LCDTU Confer- ence controlled by the Communist Party did not resolve commit delegates to strike on May 1.

It merely said: "Every May Day demonstration should include g call or action against the White Paper as a central theme". As May Day is frequently cele- brated on the Sunday nearest, this could well mean more protest again and certainly is not a strike call.

In a number of major factories, the CP only recommended' strike SLL National Secretary, Healy.

action-for example at Longbridge -and at Crawley in Surrey, Stalin- refused to mobilise on the "no grounds that there support" The CP refused also to attack Scanlon for his opposition to the May I strike. In other words they did not lead the call for the May 1 strike. The Morning Star latched on to strike calls, and reluctantly suppor- ted. Despite lukewarm CP support there wass a mass response. 10,000 workers struck Morris Motors, at Cowley

SLL

leadership. 40,000 struck on Merseyside and 10,000 joined the demonstration.

And in London 100,000 stopped demonstration of 15,000. This was a real action to shift union leaders and government.

already expanded in terms of forces and areas of work. Twelve pages of Socialist Press each fortnight cannot now the necessary. In particular the recent exten- of sions regular international and political

WORK

bringing material from Greece Turkey, Denmark, the USA and Pakistan, demand column space not available in a fortnightly paper. And in Britain itself the work of the movement has extended widely beyond the trade union base that initially formed the bedrock of the moment, to involve work in a wide range of unions. work amongst and youth and students, wOrk amongst women. To adequately follow through and develop campaigns in these tields the needs the more up-to-the-minue coverage of a weekly publication. The new weekly will concentrate on combining this kind of coverage with the current high standard of theoretical and educational material, along with reviews polemical discussion articles.

But the result will certainly be a very different type of paper-more varied in content and presentation; short, easily assimilated articles; and much more immediate coverage and impact. A series of meetings both for WSL members and for readers will be held over the next five months "In Place of Strife" The the International attempts by claiming that "The and the SLL far from leading the sabotage it". In June when 1,000 lobbied th TUC in Croydon, the CP, who ha not called for strike action that da "assisted" the struggle by physica attacking the ATUA van whic was leading the continued shoul demanding, a general strike agains the anti-union laws. The

IMG

turn their backs o these facts. And at the same time we see th

IMG

IS/SWP

the whic has not a fraction of the industria alone the politici principle, embodied at that time i the SLL. And in case anyone claims w are uncritically supporting one da strikes, us point out that i 1969, the union leaders wer professing to be opposed to th anti-union laws. The one-day strikes were aime at forcing the TUC bureaucracy t lead action. And at the same time the SLI incurred the hostility of the Stalin ists by clearly putting forward th a development to all-out general strike action to stop thi legislation. A full assessment of the SLL i this period has yet to be made. Th WSL of course has criticisms of the SLL's weakness on programme, it inadequate intervention into Vietnam movement and maximalism. nothing short of but It slander for the IMG to claim the SLL sabotaged or opposed struggles mon actually led in the the workers movement against Place 01 is worth noting in conclusion the biting irony of the fact that the WRP today has found itself unable to hit back at these slanderous acc usations. This is because the Healy lead ership well knows the stark contrast between the principled struggles led then by the SLL, with roots firmly sunk within the organised working and the degenerate petty Class bourgeois sect of the WRP Just like their old the late 1960s, the WRP ismunable to make an objective assessment of that period, or drawing the strength from those struggles. it falls to the Workers And so League Socialist founding members were expelled over two years ago from the WRP for fight- against precisely this kind of political degeneration, to draw the lessons of history for the struggles of today. to develop discussion the content and style of the weekly paper. The launching of the weekly is a With inflation at major project. 20% annually, and new equipmen needed, it is essential in the success ful launching of the new paper to raise the resources not ont produce the first edition, but to sustain it thorugh first few editions. For this reason the Nationa Aggregate meeting voted to raise a Special Fund of £3,000 between now and October 1, specifically for the launching the weekly Socialist Press. collection at the meeting raised £170 to start off the Fund drive over the next weeks. We call on readers and supporters 1o assist us in this fight to expane and improve the caper as Pat 0: Iae 2v2 5:755 League Help us wit ie eras to raising activities = see p ising during the summe: =3=0 Send uS donatio= Fund for the Weekly Page: help us raise our 13.000 =2e This is the largest target me Eate ever set ourselves to every donation. big or sai. = I be gratefully received Socialist Press Weekly Paper Fund 31, Dartmouth Park Hill. London

NWS IHR

INDUSTRIAL NEWS

Page 10

NUJ FICHTS

UNION BUSTERS

Newspaper have owners da They had refused to work wik work. after, returning to initiative launched major against the National Union of nine members who tried to resign and join the scab organisation, the Journalists and the growing readiness of members to fight The fund-made up from £100 a for closed shops. week for four weeks from each A letter marked Strictly Private office-is almost newspaper and Confidential, certainly being used to support the was sent out to Newspaper Society Kettering, East Midland Allied Press manage- ments calling for a special fund to management. was the basis for a protect employers who -faced demands for a closed shop.

major response by provincial jour- In Kettering, this struggle came malists to the May 5-6 24 hour national strike call. to the fore after a tour strike fringe benefits, when Despite a full knowledge that 24 over hour 60 journalists were locked out the strikes provincial papers In

COHSE

CLAIM

A group of nurses at the "1. A £15 a week increase across Central Hospital near War- the board for all National Health wick, mainly trainees, have Service workers; of produced an Open Letter to The automatic protection inflation by all COHSE members, signed Want increasing them weekly by the same by 21 people which explains percentage rise as that registered by exactly how little of the retail Price Index. the monthly €2.50 a week members would The immediate consolidation of receive after increased lodging the 'contract' stages One and wo pay settlements into the basic rate; charges and deductions and outlined policies defend to five week by the end of hour and improve nurses' pay. 1977. The motion, however, chance of conspic- Since there was no putting forward for uously fails to call for strike action, motion COHSE's annual conference in pre- as the only effective way to fight the national for this claim. paration wage Unanimous backing for the negotiations in the NHS they were forced to motion was obtained at a branch support a motion from the East Birmingham branch.

meeting-the first quorate meeting since November 1974 [!] This opposed the Social and the Contract and goes on to put four branch to affiliate to voted Trades Council, demands to constitute an immed- Leamington iate claim. sending four delegates. Officials

ECOHSE

form committee. London health service trade union full-time officials have formed recently themselves into a committee. The first initiative of this new committee was to call a meeting on April 29 for the full time officials, certain selected lay members, and invited reoresentatives of the Com- munity Health Councils. The name chosen was the EGA.

But NUPE stewards at the EGA by their Divisional were informed 300 AUEW members at the Officer they that would Bottle Albion Co. in Warley welcome at the meeting. have been sacked as a result of This was hardly surprising since Alan Fisher, General Secretary of strike action April 20. on NUPE was to be the main speaker.

On their return they were told While giving verdar support that a furnace had to be repaired the fight against the cuts in general and work was only available for a risher retused to give anv meaning.

few labourers. ful support to specific cuts fights The remainder would not be like the EGA occupation. paid until the repairs were platform soon This complete öreach including Richardson agreed practice whereby all workers was called on to threaten all-Lon- paid during furnace repairs.

don stike action if any attempt was were The workforce responded by made to close the EGA, the chair- refusing to out the repairs caTTY herself a шап, full-time official, until all workers were recalled. The then promptly closed the meeting.

District Secretary, Bert Benson, Fisher and Richardson remained then met mangagement and recom- mended an agreement for a phased The meeting which was given a Morning

LIC

But on investigation it became Star. could only be regarded as an clear that shop stewards were not included in these facing health workers. (most of which do not have 100% membership) will halt the never paper almost all provincia papers supported thereing Kettering dispute, its the Newspaper Society, relation to and Institute Journalists, Ine OI whose existence nurtured by employers, is of major importance to the NUJ. The demands must be for major

NUJ

action by strong of links sections, the forging build supporting action with the print unions and the immediate all- out blacking of the Press Associat- ion whose copy is now allowing the Kettering paper to appear.

FIGHT

PLESSEY

SACKINGS

It is now clear that the union leadership at Plessey's telecommunications factory at Southwick Sunderland in is prepared to wage no fight whatsoever against the scheduled closure on 2 June.

This shown by the mass meeting called by the shop stewards April to present the results on of their feverish negotiations with Eric Varley, the Industry Secretary of and with the management Plessey's: namely nothing.

Alex Forrest, secretary of the shop stewards joint action commit- afterwards stated that tee industrial action of any kind had been proposed the members. The need, however, is for a clear that

DON INTEC

demand for work-sharing on full pay, an occupation force. . the nationalisation of Plessey Telecom- and to get orders for BUt CAMON equipment from the GPO as the alternative to "negotiated" only redundancies.

A COHSE

STOP CUTS

SAVE NHS.

C

SACKED FOR 1-DAY STRIKE

plans and were to be sacked. This overwhelmingly agreement was the AUEW members. rejected by deal suspending the stewards until an investigation was the so-called completed Into "neglect of safety procedures" April 20 was also overwhelmingly defeated and the strike continued.

The latest move of the right- wing bureaucrats has been to order the workers back and threaten the Benson claims that workers from Albion Bottle "assaulted" him, and blames this on the shop stewards rather than his own actions. Management have now sacked all 300 AUEW members. 24-hour been mounted and this is respected by all trade unionists except the foremen (TASS members), who have sided with management.

OPEN UP JOBS

TO WOMEn Encouraged by the illusion opportunity" "equal of provided by the Sex Discrim- ination Act women in heavy engineering industry are begin- ning to break through into the "men's sphere of traditional jobs" In British Leyland, Cowley, the 7,000 manual jobs in the Assembly Plant are still-in spite of the Act.

passed 18 months ago-only open to male workers, apart from the tew hundred jobs in the tactory's trim shop. This is because Leyland take all workers on the contract of "fort- night about" -alternate day and night shift working. Protective legislation prevents employers putting women onto nights in factories but exemption be issued if requested can bucks jointly by management and unions.

the last few weeks women working in the Cowley trim shop have been seeking such an order so that they can apply for other jobs in the factory. Last week a male worker took a job in the trim shop and the women that the SDA is workers can see being used to cut their job oppor- tunities not enlarge them.

The for exemption move order is therefore the way to open up the whole factory for women workers. In the neighbouring Cowley body plant, order has been issued, the weekly On Friday May 6, members of the AUEW, EETPU and Boilermakers' Society at Chadburns Engineering, Liver- pool, walked out on a half- day strike, to be followed by an indefinite overtime ban and a policy of non-cooperation, demanding a scheme for sick pay. The action was to some extent

TEACHERS BACKED

The Executive of the National Union of Teachers has placed the full resources of the Union behind their mem- bers in Oxfordshire. This means that they will pay full salaries from the strike funds if strikes are called against the Tory Council's plan to make over 500 teachers redundant at the end of this term. Amid much demagogic speechi- fying from officials and Executive members, teachers are urged to vote in favour of the Executive's ballot class size action, school dinner action and strike action.

This ballot is of course designed action which would surely have begun to break out in the schools in recruitment of labour is now 65% women. Many of these choosing to work nights even when dav ale available. There are other moves in other parts of the country both in the car Longbridge, and industry, as other, traditionally male worker heavy industries. Recently the press carried the story of the first woman work at the coalface applying down a mine. There can be no better way to raise the questions of women's oppression and sexist attitudes than by the entrv of women themse ver force into these spheres the employment and SO into powerful engineering trade unions Council is hold- Oxford Trades ing a public meeting on Friday 13 May in order to discuss and carry forward these important develop- ments and other major questions affecting women's rights.

The leaflet being used to publi- cise the meeting argues: "Demand equal job opportunity.

The Sex Discrimination Act says job should be equal opportunity Tor menana women at 6,000 jobs *At Cowley there are closed to women. All the manual operators in the Assembly Plant are men Unemployment is rising shope except shop. as fast men. *Official figures don't register the large numbers of women out of work who do not register as unem- ployed. Unemployment hits everyone. In the last three years it has doubled to record levels-worse than any.

thing since the last war.

The arguments that 'Women work for pin money ' or 'A woman's place is in the home' are used as excuses. Most women do work outside the home-nearly all Britain's single women and nearly half of Britain's married women. All of us, men and women, have the right to a job."

SICK PAY STRIKE

provoked by the company's man-

BBC

aging speaking on

TANTAT

Merseyside Radio the night, being interviewed about the company's record profits, the high- est in the company's history. The way now to prove that the than adequate has more funds to finance a sick pay scheme is tor the shop stewards committee to demand that the books of the company are thrown open to an elected committee of trade unionists. the next few weeks following the resolutions for strike action passed by local Associations before Easter.

The Executive has taken the reins in forestalled activity until any 13, leaving onlv five weeks unti end of term while the ballot is carried out and negotiations take place behind the scenes. abound that Tories have and there is after all more money in the coffer. Oxfordshire NUT teachers must be extremely vigilant that their "militant" Executive does not "victory" over redun- which dancies turns out to have allowed reductions in jobs through and non-renewal non-replacement of contracts.

POLICE CHARGE HOTEL LINE

HOTEL VICTORY

AFTER 23 WEEKS

"Despite the fact we've won the hardest" come"-the words of a part is still worker who has had twenty three weeks to learn that the struggle for trade union rights is never over. This was how Joseph Tosti yiewed the victory of the Linton Lodge, complete Oxford, strike speaking from the platform of a WSL May Day meeting in London just two days after the management of the hotel caved in. workers For 23 weeks the hotel struggled, not onlv against management but against TGWU inactivity and sabotage.

All workers who wanted reinstatement won it. Those who no longer wished to return won compensation. The TGWU has been recognised. Jo himself, against whom the their stiffest management had resistance, is not only reinstated, he goes back as shop steward. The strike started in November. As the long months passed some workers iner- itably gave up. Just seven were left at the end to taste the fruits of victory.

Since the strikers gathered on the first Police charged on pickets This outside the Randolph Hotel, continue Oxford, last week in a violent tically demonstration of solidarity throughout between the forces of the against state, Trust Houses Forte and fascist elements. arisen Snatch charged 300 squads total demonstrators who had gathered to months prevent •Self Help' Linton out their declared inten tion of crossing the picket line to linking hold a meeting on "the closed shop elements, and trade union picketing".

Law, As the demonstration stood problems firm, the police entered the hotel from side then charged the the picket from the back. Policemen hurled themselves on In opposition demonstrators, lashing out on all sing the strikes: sides. After an hour and a half of struggle 38 demonstrators had been arrested, the fascists had been forced into the hotel and the whole workers' struggle Trust forced against Houses Forte had developed _to a has new high point. So The object of the Dowager Lady Birdwood and her Self Help fascists was not of course to hold a meeting most of the 70 or so LIOr wnien had travelled from London) but simply to cross the picket.

by Dall

THF

The signs extreme strain in the dispute. They backlash. press campaign NaVe costing tens of thousands of pounds of the win friends and influence people with full page advertisements are 1n pickets. national and local press.

Printers and journalists on Sir Standard' the 'Evening and brook "Evening News' are waiting to Standard. learn who is going to be their executioner. The bewildering series of propos- als and counter proposals from up financiers have just one common thread. They all start from the 4,000 jobs on the two papers will that half of the be axed. concluded Meanwhile the resentment and that had journalists control of frustration jostling their bosses printers occupying the boardrooms is being turned aside. alone. not For years rumours have abound- Observer relied ed that the News or the Standard Now Beaverbrook is would close. bail it out. prepared to sell and leave Associ- ated Press to run the only evening wheeling paper. It would be likely that the Evening News staff would be first If the on the chopping block since redun- to dancy agreements make more expensive to fire Evening Standard staff. Into the confusion has stepped

INDUSTRIAL NEWS

evening in an Oxford pub to hear the full time official, Geoff Hulett, declare 'war" on the hotel industry, the workers learned bitter lessons. They that earned paper carried by the District Committee, the Regional Committee and the national trade group were the start of the fight not the finish. The strikers confronted Jack Jones him- self in his lair at Transport House and heard him say that the strikes were 'unwin- nable. But Jo is right. The hardest part is still They have to rebuild the union to come. in the hotel, winning round workers who have been poisoned against them.

They still have to tackle the wages and conditions that made them turn to the union in the first place.

They go into that struggle with the and expecte confidence that comes from overcoming obstacles every as the IGWU bit as big itself. paid-for space-"We will fighting for freedom of the individual"— has been enthusias- backed sections of the press

IGWU

Law. Region 5 organiser. part this desperation has through the complete and victory after five and a half by the workers the at Lodge hotel in Oxford. The Linton Lodge the

VELOIT.

of

THF

with fascist against walanat fundamental have caused for the union bureau- Law has been forced into action to Jack Jones. had committed himself to. collap- Blacking being implemented in Region Massive pickets have been raised for special occasions. Law has been protect to fight to his for obstruction reputation in Region 5 and in doing were later dropped. shown just effect the Scabs at wide blacking can have. Transport House The Night Out club in Birming- complain about Alan Law ham not only faces the cutting of supplies (as does the nearby Albany Hotel but it also faces a complete Despite nam. Equity from August. question is how Law will face up to the inevitable right wing Randolph and Already the involvement National Association of Representatives Freedom is evident and injunctions claiming being prepared the against jobs.

OPEN FLEET STREET BOOKS

James Goldsmith who would like to buy out the whole Beaver- The journalists close down the together must start to unfold from group to the cupboard the Goldsmith, whose devotion to and dealing OI that he is Undoubtedly press freedom is such prepared to go to the High Court to which will require major industrial Eye, would Private ideally suited to join the ranks of achieve since the the newspaper moguls. cracies are would outsider Robert leading such a fight will show that Maxwell, the man the Department the papers are Inquiry into Pergamon bottom. fit was not to De 1l

SECRETS

public company. The Standard and the News are Only last the business secrets of Fleet Street the year workers must also be prepared to on US capital and demand that the government puts redundancies on a large scale to up the money What is clear is that for years survive-this time under the direct wheelicted in de back rooms on dealing Fleet Street papers. must be offered who have led Fleet Street to Standard and the News brink of complete survive without massive sackings there must be an all out paper production every nook and openl cranny of their files to the scrutiny workers in the firm of controlling. of chapel committees. Scabs look on approvingly as police attack pickets The latest action taken by the Birmingham scabs (they selves the Night Out Staff Associa- tion) is to demand a statement in writing from Law that he will call picketing". "unlawtul intend to apply for an injunction.

VULNERABLE

Twenty four hour be continue to maintained, lorry drivers from Law's branch, at both the Night Out and the Albany Hotel. In Sheffield where the strikers have been at the most Inrougn une rerusal or lae asico officials to give any backing, they nevertheless unanimously the management's offer of minimal The first arrest - 37 followed compensation to go away. offer had already been rejected at Last week pickets were arrested Oxford. but the charges Far from fading away the strikes Birmingham, Sheffield at club went to in London to EXPORT YEAR HAS amongst On Saturday they organised an its Patrons the Duke of Kent and anti-Law demonstration in Birming- Jones. has a national mobilis- sponsors the CBI and the TUC.

ation only 100 people took part in Export Year News-a four page the march including scabs from the boost for the international muscle Corley SerVice of British capital front page an article headed Hotels from Corley, make big contribution to exports.

IGWU members The article goes said Alan Law was threatening their special rate offers by hotels, the result of which is to face picket lines with the task of turning guests whose panies have paid in advance.

Nice work Jack. Oxford are becoming test tor the trade union movement.

Extended blacking is now-as it Directors must be interrogated.

has been trom the first-crucial to and printers win the strikes. It is now criminal withold the full power of the sordid planning TGWU against THF and its allies.

the past years. Oxford and District this demand- Union Council has responded to the attacks by calling a demonstration possibly occupation to tor a date stif to be fixed.

union bureau- should be made the national focus million miles from oi mobilisation to injunctions, fascist attacks indeed on Tock organised scabbing. The campaign

THF

represents a major attack on the whole working class. The hotel workers must be supported.

In demanding the ending of the

WORKERS SOCIALIST

LEAGUE

IOI

the papers to Public Meeting

BIRMINGHAM

workers involved. Not a penny in compensation Support the Port Talbot to the parasites Strikers! the Break the Lib-Lab coalition disaster. There not a single part of the news- Labour Club, Bristol Street process that the Sunday May 22 at 7.45pm. are incapable Airport blacking bites At a mass meeting on April 27, the 4,000 striking Heath- row engineers voted to return call them- work to on the recommen- dation of the shop stewards committee. They The vote had to be taken twice because the unable to convince the men that any lulls nau been won. It was the intervention of Reg Birch, Maoist EC member of the AUEW that pickets secured the to work by decision. The 'settlement' itself gave the The men nothing. were to return on the basis of 'agreements drawn uo between the AUEW and vulnerable British Airways management' of that •was British Airways were to ready rejected negotiate immediately on any agreed formula on shift pay which A similar between emerges from discussions the

AUEW

and the wages sub- committee. But that point wages the and sub-committee was still refusing to meet the engineers to discuss a joint shift pay claim. As the vote was taken some of meeting shouting «Sell out" the its amongst leadership has also The AUEW British Airways agreed with management to pursue the shift on its within the negotiating pay claim machinery, an agreement which has met with universal hostility from the maintenance engineers.

Several strike THF at its Cava ended the wages subcommittee in an unexpected change of stance finally agreed to a joint shift pay com-

ÄUEW

claim with the and meeting of the wages subcommittee and the five negotiators took place last week finalise the claim. to Negotiations were expected to start early. this week with British with Always of 13 May. However, settlement with the shop stewards still refusing to take on the Social Contract and the union leaders preparing the way for a third phase of wage controls, Trades British Airways management could conceivably concede much of the claim safe in the knowledge that This they would not have to pay it for years. fight In the meantime, a number of and aircraft on which maintenance work was carried out during the building around strike stracked by uhe engineers, e b are been supervisors have demanding lump sum payments of £150 each in compensation wages lost during the dispute British Airways management have refused to pay and have issued "serious statements referring to a situation" facing the airline as a result of the blacking. Clearly nothing is yet settled at Heathrow but the shift pay claim will not be won until a leadership which is prepared to lead a fight for the claim on the basis of destroying the Social Contract, which remains the obstacle to the men getting their money.

BACKING PORT TALBOT

Page 12

MAY DAY

SLAUGHTER

IN TURKEY

Intercontinental Hotel, and pointed 36 people were killed, some police drove out that armoured and 200 wounded, cars into the crowd, and fired on arrested as a massive 170,000 demonstrators. May Day rally in strong The Maoist groups for their part, only add to the confusion, blaming Istanbul ended in violence.

CIA,

fascists, and social fascists".

eachother well Both the capitalist press and the titt police are united in claiming that the shooting was started by Maoists

CRISIS

whom the rally organisers-the left But the attack must be seen as union confederation wing trade part of the political crisis in Turkey DISK -had refused to allow on the in which violence from right wing demonstration. forces has been on the increase for Kemal Turkler, But fact

DISK,

three vears leader of was actually For workers' organisations to inviting the Maoists. to join the seek now to exploit the events for demonstration at the very moment their own interests can only assist the shooting started. ettorts of the bourgeoisie to DISK leaders and the leader of this There must be an

COVET

up. the bourgeois

RPP,

Mr. Ecevit, call workers's immediate inquiry into the May Day events.

Ecevit himself had been stored and shot at three days earlier by fascists in an election meeting leaving 15 people wounded.

Ecevit later shaken rather accused the rival Justice Party and National Action Party of planning the attack "in order to keep the electorate away from the polls and the right wing comes to power".

FOLLY

There is obviously truth in this fascist DISK leader Turkler statement-the right does have confidence Ecevit both argued an alternative line- W1f

TOL

take a sufficiently tough line with that the shooting was planned by the working class. the CIA and fascist provocateuis. and Maoist groups participated in But at the same time of course it would be criminal folly to accept it. the line of the Turkish Commun- Yet eye witness said that firing began from nearby rooftops ist Party that bourgeois politician Ecevit some kind of and from the represents second floor of the

MAY 14—FIGHT BENYON BILL

Furthermore the time limit for Despite the decision of both abortion would be brought down to the 1975 Labour Party confer- the police given weeks allu ence and the TUC that women carte blanche inspect medicai should have the right to files and to harass both doctors and request free abortion on on patients. be defeated by The Bill must

NHS,

47 Labour MPs the the Labour Party campaigning in voted with Tory MP Benyon for an end to the free vote on the February drastically to sciomit trade unions in tionting in . to restrict this right. commit trade unions nationally to defending women's rights and to Benyon's Bill threatens the very mobilise against attacks on them; of the private charity existence and by demanding that which sector

HUSU

41C

MPS

should forced to resort to because of delib- sponsored

VOTE

policy. with union erate obstruction, delay and intim- accordance of such campaign

NHS R

consultants and As part idation by support must be mobilised for the the lack of gynacologists and by NAC for demonstration called by the health service. facilities

WORKERS SOCIALIST

WORKERS SOCIALIST

LEAGUE

LEAGUE

Education Class Education Class. «The National Front and the Threat of Faşcism." "Stalinism" The Limerick, Fryer St. The Wellington, Bristol St.

WOLVERHAMPTON

BIRMINGHAM

Tuesday May 17 at 7.45pm.

Sunday May 15 at 7.45pm.

SOCIALIST

*

PRESS

PAPER OF THE WORKERS SOCIALIST LEAGUE

BRITAIN

EUROPE

£1.15 6 inques.. . 21 6 issues.. £2.30 12 issues 12 issues .£4.60 24 issues. 24 issues I would like to take out a subscription to Socialist Press. I would like..... issues, I enclose I.....

NAME.

ADDRESS

against struggle "democratic fascism" The only serious struggle against fascism is one led by the working class in clear political independence from other classes and their parties.

This means at the same time a political rejection the of the Maoists who characterise both reformist "social as Stalinist movements fascist" and therefore oppose any united front of workers' parties in self-defence against fascism.

such a united The struggle for front is the primary task now facing Turkish connected workers the struggle to completely . wIth National tine realition before the Front ruling coalition June elections.

SAYI-I

12 MAYIS 1977

ENTERNASYONEL

İŞÇİ SOSYALİST BİRLİGİ (WL)

200

YAYINIDIR

'International', The tirst Issue the Trotskvisi tirst openly to be published in Turkish.

31, Dartmouth Available from WSL Park Hill, London NW5 1HR.

The crucial importance of the six-week strike by electric- ians which has closed the giant Port Talbot steel works was stressed at a meeting in Hall on April Oxford Town 26. The meeting was sponsored by the four local union branches, 14 May in London. fight However, the against Benyon's Bill must not be divorced from the fight against other cuts in the health service which the Labour government is implementing.

Local Trades Councils and trade union branches must set up com the health work out needs of areas and to fight for the meet facilities provision those needs. This must start with the demand the books of the Area to open Healen Aurnontes lo urade umon inspection to see in waose mierests the health service is being run.

The demonstration assembles 14 May at Belvedere Rd. 1.30 p.m. Trafalgar march via ¿ waterloo) 10 Square to a rally in Hyde Park at 4.30pm.

FUND

With the announcement inside this issue of the decision of a WSL National Aggregate to launch the weekly Socialist Press October, and a substantial Special Fund to raise the neces- sary finance for such an under- taking essential that the it Is Fund for the Monthly continues. April Fund finally closed at £528.57. far this month we have received £192.67 which means that we still have a long way to go to complete the £600 target. Don't neglect the Monthly Fund. It is essential for the day to day running of the paper.

All donations should be sent to: Socialist Press Monthly Fund 31, Dartmouth Park Hill, London NWS IHR

GEZI

Police armoured car in action Armed guard for Ecevit strike committees …trom the two Oxford hotel disputes and organ- ised by the Campaign for Demo- cracy in the Labour Movement.

The 500 striking electricians were represented by stewards including the chairman of the stewards committee, Viv Gear. Alan the meeting, Openine Thornett, as chairman of one of the branches, emphasised sponsorig the importance of the Port Talbot 2 strike in the fight against Stage of the Social Contract and the importance of supporting this strike through the blacking of imported steel. John Dinworth, the main speaker from Port Talbot stewards stressed the strength of the strike.

"The solid and members are intend to win" he told the meeting.

he applause emphasised that

OUT

Social means breaking the clair Contract, then we will break the Social Contract" The meeting was also addressed by Jo TGWU shop steward at the Linton Lodge Hotel who had then tIVE been on sume lor over months against victimisation and

WORKERS SOCIALIST :

LEAGUE

Public Meeting "Labour after the elections" John Barnes Library Camden Rd. LONDON N7 Thursday 19 May at 7.30pm SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 11 May, 1977 for union recognition (see P.11).

the The voted fot Heathe following resolution: "That this meeting fully sup- ports the strikes at Port Talbot and Heathrow Social against the Contract and: 1. campaigns for the national black- ing mported steel in the ports and Sa motions in branches sent the • to National Port shop stewards com mittee and the unions concerned; financial organises maximum basis; support an ongoing on 3. where possible press Wil industrial action in support of these sectors; will in

EETPU

campaign branches for demands to be placed on the EETPU executive to make the strike official. At the end of the meeting £186 was raised for the Port Talbot strike fund but the Port Talbot stewards insisted split

THAT

with the Oxford Hotel Strike Com- mittees We call on all readers and sup- porters to campaign throughout the labour movement for support for the above resolution.

A unanimous vote of the 100-strong Oxford meeting

WORKERS SOCIALIST

LEAGUE

Education Class "Dual power and the revolutionary situation. Speaker: Alan Thornett. Sunday May 15 at 8pm. Lake St. Community Centre

OXFORD