Socialist Press no. 71

A wave of strikes through- hospitals out London has been the immediate response of health workers to the smashing up of Hounslow Hospital last week, which at the latest count has left four patients dead. The occupation committee have called on national executives of all health service unions to call national strike action untu une hospital is reopened and the cuts Hospital after hospital votes at mass recorded massive meetings to support the one day and to support strike tnis week the lobby of the Area Health Authority that carried out the aLLaCK.

VICTIMS

Staff at Hounslow had been working in for six months to prevent the closure of the 66 bed hospital-one of the earliest victims of the Labour govern- ment's cuts. Until last week's raid, and with the support of local trade unions, the trades council and local com- munity the hospital workers had managed to maintain services to 21 patients-many of them Two members of case casesa the Area Health Authority had agreed to move that the hospital.

stayed open at its meeting this week. Last Thursday AHA officials

SOCIALIST

PRESS *

HOUNSLOW:

CALL NATIONAL

STRIKE ACTION

handful of scabs from the West Middlesex Hospital, forced their way in. They hauled patients from their beds and bundled them in their nightclothes through pouring rain to the waiting ambulances.

Beds were dismantled, personal belongings left behind and some patients made to wait 40 minutes in front of an open door.

DEAD

Patients were even bundled out without their teeth. Four patients now reported dead the 1n al c aftermath. One suttered a heart attack. A terminal cancer patient was sent nome because Inere was no room at West Middlesex Hosp- ital and died. A patient of the West Middle- sex itself was refused admission influx and died • because of tne before he could get treatment.

Now admissions at the West Middlesex have been stopped. The hospital which had been declared "redundant" has proved too much to handle-until a lew

HUEC

patients die and leave their beds

OCCUPATION

The immediate response of the staff at the Hounslow Hospital was to declare a full scale occup- ation to defend the building.

They called strikes throughout London this Wednesday (October 12) and a lobby to demand the reopening of the hospital.

A key role in supporting the Stewards in the Health Service centred on alle meeting of 500 at St. Bernard's Mental Hospital voted unanimous- ly to strike.

DELEGATIONS

Both Ford's at Dagenham and Trico have agreed to send dele-

FORTNIGHTLY PAPER OF THE

WORKERS SOCIALIST LEAGUE

No. 71 * October 12, 1977 * 10p

WE MADE IT!

Well we went over the top on the £3,000 fund! With money stil coming in from the areas we now have a total of £3165.62. A magnifi cent effort over the last two weeks brought in an additional £520.75.

Among the contributions received the following: were Wes London £7; Liverpool £2.75; Hull £17; Birmingham £47.30; Sout London £35; Oxford Bazaar £254; £20; Coventry Amsterdar supporters £55. The Special Fund is now closed and we would like to thank every one who helped us to successfully complete it on time.

Now that we have raised the necessary finance to launch th weekly we must turn our attention to the raising of the financ necessary to sustain it. That means fighting each month to raise in ful our monthly fund which we have continued to raise during the period of the Special Fund. The monthly target is £600 and while in recen months we have not raised it in full we now feel confident that this i possible. All donations should be sent to: Socialist Press Monthly Fund 31, Dartmouth Park Hill, London NW5 1HR "Lefts" surrender to Coalition the Militant's toothle "Lib-Lab

OWE

Conference, abstract category, stripped of Week Two" quipped the call for a Daily Telegraph' coalition, it is easy to understa cartoonist last why it had no impact whatever week, aptly character- shaping the developments at t ising a Labour Conference Conference. which saw the complete and The smattering of "left" rest grovelling collapse of the utions that were adopted self-proclaimed 'left' wingers Conference will of course come the and time honoured col no challenge to the shoulder treatment from gover continuation of the kind of ment ministers, who have alwa policies beloved by indus- regarded the Conference trialists and international diverting week by the sea rath bankers. than any mandate for action Among the more improbab All the decisions had been proposals passed by Conferenc taken week the before, when, was the ritual demands for under the approving eye of the public spendir Tory TESTOTZBOn press, the Liberal Party cuts (passed just as final plans fo endorsed a of the contmuation the sacking of Hounslow Hospit Lib-Lab coalition deal-provided were being approved and ac that no socialist Only policies for a reduction in the "unaccep whatever were adopted. able" level of unemployme which the government accepted and consciously built u over the last three years.

COALITION

Naturally neither policy can b implemented while the Lib-La coalition remains intact.

As the Telegraph summed the 1977 Conference, the affa will have: little or no impact current Government PHOTO: Andre, policy-M Callaghan's position is too stron for that and the left does want to chance its arm by dangering the new found unity o the party the run-up to th election. Callaghan This 'new found unity valued by the 'lefts' is unity wit From then the on vacant the Liberal Party, unity with th rhetoric, histrionics, arm waving friends and co-thinkers of Prentice and lectern thumping of the 'lefts' Who remain the dominant force i in the Labour Conference could the Labour leadership, unity with be clearly dismissed as irrelevant the very forces that are liquidating by except the most evervone the mass base of the Labour Party gullible readers of Tribune and within the working class Militant. This unity must be broken, Militant proudly claimed that must the coalition deal with the eleven speakers on the first day Liberals, before any progress alone got up proclaim De made in the taht for cr

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

CARRILLO COMFORTS

Page 3 Spain's Francoist govern- ment led by Adolfo Suarez is supported by a minority of the population (even after vote-rigging it got barely one third of the votes in the general election in June).

And it is now suffering major internal disputes which resulted weeks ago in the first minis- terial resignation. But no matter what its troubles, it knows it can count on one group of real friends-Santiago Carrillo andsthe leadership of the Spanish Communist Party. Carrillo has never uttered a word Suarez and of public criticism of has frequently come to his aid..

ABSTAINED

For instance, regime's in a the first parliamentary test last month, wnen the socianst farty demanded the resignation the mass murderer Martin Villa as Interior Minister after armed police had Socialist MP, the beaten up Party Communist ostentatiously abstained, leaving the government with a decisive majority.

of the was example unswerving support for armed repressive forces of the state.

The member of the armed police September 27 (the shot dead on of Franco's judicial anniversary murder of five left wing immediately ago) was Iwo years declared by the a good летостат On other such occasions the CP the police has sent condolences to and representatives to the funeral.

One of its members has been expelled from the party and denied ¿he party's legal aid after he killed a fascist thug in self-defence.

Carrillo and the CP leadership Have been calling for the last three front govern- wears or a popul =ent of national reconciliation of would be coalition • RICIl Stalinists, reformists and the loyal arrants of aranco who remaln charge. This treacherous class collabor- anonst plan das come several steps bearer fulfillment over the last two

AUTONOMY

șlate the Suarez craned statute of autonomy" the four

FRANCO'S HEIRS

parties will be headed by the right- wing veteran leader of the General- Josep Tarradellas, a lat mn exile, man very close to Suarez.

MINISTERS

There will be two Socialist Party each trom the nationalist Democratic bourgeois Pact for Catalonia, the Union of the Democratic Centre (Suarez' United Socialist grouping) and the of Catalonia (the CP), plus Party 'technicians' several other chosen by Tarradellas. The on del Colla provisional Generalitat, therefore, has led to the formation of the first front government popular in post- Franco Spain. Though this is only in one region of Spain, a simiar alrangemen Is now being planned for Euskadi (the Basque region). the national level too, Spain is rapidly heading for the front formation popular government. Last week the Suarez regime proposed to the 'opposition' parties agreement on a governmental all brogramme to resolve the

PLOW LA

economic of Spanish emergency capitalism Ior Dal ld- Carrillo (centre) with Italian CP leader Berlinguer and French CP leader Marchais mentary support from the oppos- ition parties. This appeal was mainly directed Socialist and Communist Parties. Though there is no doubt about the willingness of Felipe Gonzalez' Socialist Party enter to into unis kind of sordid deal, it was as usual the CP replied first, with WuCt near rapture, to Suarez initiative It was a step, the CP spokesman said, towards the which the CP had been proposing.

RUSHED

Carrillo alone among 'opposition' leaders rushed Suarez' office to talk to him about it face to lace Having dope this, Carrillo shot off not to Moscow but to Brightor where he has been an observer of the Labour Party conference There he was able to meet some of the experts on undeclared class On off from the day conference Carrillo spoke, even less guardedly than usual. audience of academics London Suarez' with 2o venicul Francoists. They are a programme of demo- cratic womens rights in relation to and rights treedom ol expression especially on radio and TV, measures to allow workers to "have a certain level of control in factories', along with an which deals economic programme with inflation and unemployment, and "structural reforms' relating to energy and food policy These conditions are all stated so that they could well have vaguely straight Suarez' out election manifesto.

NOT BEST

His proposals are not the best possible programme, Carrillo added.

The best would 110L C complete and Taultal though not of course, he assured his audience, a socialist one.

"Today in Spain I don't believe in socialising the economy--but in a strengthen the economy. Dan to We need to consolidate democracy and then think about the rest."

Most of Carrillo's remarks were about the relationship the Spanish Spanish CP with the Socialist Party and the Soviet Union. He his made cleat differences with the Soviet Union are not some positive rejection of but part complete rejection of internationalism.

The fragmentation of the world movement, he said, was сотин not only not a tragedy but a sign of ine development or tae revolution "The revolution more "the more it grows", said Carrillo, will fragment and therefore diversify". of socialism will be The victor! the victory of the progressive forc in each country. "It has to be national. The Communist Parties there- fore have to be totally independent of the socialist powers. Having liquidated in this way the basic political need for proletarian internationalism Carrillo went on to the organisational liquidation of the *no was essential in programme, difference argued, between the Spanish CP and the Socialist Party. The only obstacle to the fusion of the ransacons unwillingness of the Socialist Party leadership. feel more representative. SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 12 October 1977

ARRESTS FAIL

TO SOLVE CRISES

them, the Mr Bhutto, the deposed directly against wing of Pakistan, political level were right prime minister coalitions. and Mrs. Gandhi, the ex-prime support They gained massive But the Desai government and the minister of India, have been taken into police custody on PNA backed military regime cannot consolidated right wing charges. The legit- corruption accure rule in either of the countries.

of these charges is of imacy the breviou ine lact is unal in less significance than their elections in India and in Pakistan timing the defeat inflicted on the suppos Congress and PPP 'left wing' Mrs. Gandhi, after a few months edly was not decisive. seclusion came out with a forcelu criticism of the right wing govern- These parties still retained considerable militant support She not only criticised its well as a bulk of the population political, and social policies but counterposed a which could be decisively won over It is obvious enough that neither programme laulca Dy the of the a bourgeois democracy nor a fascist standards Congress Party. miltarv regime is able to solve ine Her problems inflicted on the people in demagogy was all too only those countries. and that the effective in securing support.

Bhutto was arrested only four system which can resolve these political, economic and days after a massive election rally numerous social problems is a socialist system.

Karachi clearly out- PNA's Even obvious the numbered of the more historical conclusion drawn from meetings. the February and October revol- frenzied and 'Inese utions in 1917, is that in the back- the postponement of elections in ward countries even basic demo Pakistan show both the desperation cratic tasks of bourgeois revolution six month old right-wing oi the can only be achieved by a socialist Desai government in India and the revolution, brought about under Zia's determination General of the organised military regime to hand over power working class the help of to the right wing PNA with petty- Gandhi and Bhutto were peasantry and the Both bourgeoisie brought down through hysterical based Utter confusion on this question not any Wall balas by both pro- created coherent political or economic pro- has been Moscow and pro-Peking Communist Parties in both India and Pakistan.

metaphysics and morality.

Their false policies now are decisive factor These campaigns gained support clearly the preserving the system as well as because neither ruler offered any letting desperate population solution to the problems facing the denied independent leadership face Indian and Pakistani masses and death and humiliation in because both, after

CO1010S

less abandoned process. of changing one reactionar.

more their "socialist" programmes.

bourgeois government for another The and then back again only people campaigning

DEAD END AT

GENEVA

The most recent outbreak *shuttle Eastern of Middle diplomacy" last week reached with epidemic proportions Israeli and Arab ministers complete with This incursion, to Washington for traipsing the bombers, gunboats facing with frenzied consultations harbour of Tyre, and a substantial array of tanks, carried a particularly American President Carter and public message to Carter Secretary of State Cyrus . Although Israel is a Vance. of US imperialism in majors client the Middle East, it is not the only reconvening ol At Issue 1s lne the Geneva conference to achieve a are the Zionists proving one; not "peaceful" settlement in the Middle of American reliable servants East, international satistactori

HILCICSS

imperialism and providing a secure is seeking a compromise basis for the Zionist state of the whereby governments Arabs states would up behind a proposal for a Palestinian on the West Bank. him stale he is clearly pursuit of that willing to tread on Zionist toes.

Washington By the end trip Dayan had changed his tune.

A major pressuse point we the statement issued by the and Soviet Union on October 2 in the rights of •Insuring the Palestinian people." push the Zionists This helped into compromise formula involving a single Arat thar delegaton which include countries), mildly disguised representatives of the PLO probably in the persons of the West Bank mayors. effect of Carter's position was to enable Egypt and Dayan Jordan to retreat from their earlier PLO repres The major sticking point has insistence on separate of the Arab entation at Geneva been the composition The chances of reconvening the which lies the delegation Denie question of two and a half million Geneva talks by the year's end now seem fairly high. But the chance of Palestinians denied a homeland.

their new such talks offering any way forward The Zionists, ultra right wing government, have to the Palestinian people are their refusal precisely zero TO "pro- negotiate with the Palestine Liber.

the most would ation Orgarisa::: Foreig: M=5=

BIKO: ONE MORE MURDER IN

PROGRAMME OF REPRESSION

SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 12 October 1977 Apartheid system S. Africa The death in detention last month of Steve Biko, prominent leader of the black consciousness in movement South is Africa, one more the event in systematic of murder and repression being carried out by South the African state to crush any popular resistance to apartheid and the capitalist system which it maintains.

Biko was a founding leader of the independent black students and later organisation. became Black leader People's Convention, the one ot organisations of the black

COLICIU USIOSS IJOYCIICOL

years Biko Uvet suffered from continuous police repression. He was put under house arrest, banned (ie deprived of political and personal rights) and on a number of occasions held in rail His latest arrest came only a few weeks before his murder.

NOT UNUSUAL

In itself, Biko's death is nothing unusual for South Africa.

Hardiy a month goes by without murder the recorded black liberation fighter inside South African jail. report by the South

1CUCILL

Alrican Institute of Race Relations the of number political

PULS

prisoners killed in detention since 1961 as 41, 18 of those being since March of last year. And these are merelv the known deaths; many others have simply 'disappeared'. Biko's death, however, has been given particular prominence,

• JOL

only because he the best Wak known leader to have been killed but because the capitalist govern of Europe and the United Mells States have seized upon his death as pretext exude ritualistic moralism about their 'abhorence' of apartheid Many opponents of apartheid rightly the bare- o uite faced hypocrisy of such 'abhorence' it is coupled with economic when complicity maintaining apartheid.

MASK

But that hypocrisy is not just a moral shortcoming which could be corrected moral pressure, argument and persuasion. It part of the • icessary ideological by which inter- Hask national capital acnperately mystifies its relationship racialism general and with apartheid in particular. international task of revol- utionaries in relation to the South African struggle is not to follow the diversion of "pressure" capital "reform itself inside Africa, all but to provide and material support sondarily, assistance for the struggle to build South African revolutionary party. The presence of western diplo- was itse mats al biko s lunerai of the way that imperialism part tries to mask true nature. its 11 C role in the development and main- tenance of racism and exploitation throaghout the world.

STRUGGLE

The reperate or mprai key to capitalism in Because, ultimately, that struggle is against imperialism as a whole.

Apartheid is the particular form h wnc cablasm neeos to man- tain itself in South Africa.

And racist South Africa is a vital strategic fortress, market, producer and cheap labour pool within the international capitalist network The laying of a wreath on Biko's coffin United States ambassador was a cynical insult to struggle to which Biko was committed While the functionaries of inter- attended the wa pilalisin funeral to express their concern and abhorence, the system they represent continued to maintain the system which led to the murder.

PIOUS

And while they compete with pious protestations, each orner in their secret. police co-operate with the South Africans to help them capture their future victims.

The tace of the Kritish foreign enough at the Secretary was grave memorial service to Biko which he attended in London But it was much graver the next day when the Labour Party confer- ence passed, against his impassioned pleas. a resolution caning on the labour movement to give material and moral support to the freedom fighters in Zimbabwe. Unfortunately missing from that was any on the

TE OURO

government to prevent the activities of Smith's and Vorster's extensive security forces in Britain.

The hypocritical moralising of the imperialist governments, through trying to mask the real role of imperialism sustalle

IN BRIEF

AUSTRALIA

The Premier of the State of Victoria has taken sweeping emer- gency powers to attempt to defeat the week old wage electricity supply workers, which is bringing industry in the state to a halt. His threat to call in the troops has prompted widespread calls for a national general strike.

ETHIOPIA

reports of i here are discontent within of Mengistu. dictator Mutinies are reported from both the Ogaden and Eritrean fronts. The West Somalian Liberation backed Front, by the Somalian full in ally 1U W control of the long-disputed town of Jijiga.

POLAND

The Workers Detence Commit tee set up to combat the repression which followed the strikes of June 1976 has changed its name to the Committee for social sell delence The 23 founding members declare their obiective as fighting against repression, violation of legality and *abuse of ol man and power by those who govern us.

SRI LANKA

Lsing its two thirds majority in parliament (which was boycotted bs former Prime Minister Bandara- male's Fresdom Part: Tamil Liberation Froa: Jene's

| INTERNATIONAL NEWS

apartheid, is an attempt to divert the struggle against apartheid from the path of struggle against all capitalist exploitation and oppression: The South African working class must rely, not OI international capitalism to reform one inevitable consequences, but on its own independence and programme destroy the system of which Steve Biko was one of countless victims.

SPONTANEOUS

The black consciousness move- ment of which

BIKO

was one of the leaders, like all spontaneous movements with petty- influence does 110 | involve a clear committment to the independence of the working class It is a movement which filled some of the political vacuum which followed the demoralising defeat of power in the hands of the president who will of course be Jayawardene himself.

HOLLAND

Yet another attempt to recon- Tory-Labour struct the coalition government has failed due to dis- agreement over the number of seats fors each the Cabinet. party in Dutch capitalism has been noW without an authorative government for six months since the elections.

ITALY

The Communist Party, which supports the anti-working class pro- Democratic government has jumped at the government's proposal not to hold the municinal elections which due are next They wilbe postponed

INO NEIL

until sometime in 1978. confrontations have violent between place left-wing taken demonstrators and both fascists and police after the murder of militant of the centrist group Lotta Continua by members of the fascist

MSI.

BANGLA DESH

A group of soldiers, reportedly supporters of the revolutionary" National Party Socialist tried unsuccessfully to make use of the confusion created by the presence Dacca airport of the hi-jacked «lilnc lu ucow ela u Rahman's dictatorship. which ine Page 3 Sharpville in 1961 and which was For Biko's murder, and the d partly produced by the desertion of repression of which by the masses traditional highlights responsibility nationalist movements in favour of revolutionaries in helping to b guerillaism. the theory, programme and org In this respect, black conscious- So isation with which the ness, despite its political limitations African working class played a in the progressive role ideological and organisational mobilisation of the black masses

TROTSKYIST

Objectivély represents the groping of the black working class the theory towards the building new permanent revolution, a transit of struggle-political, transitic programme theoretical and organisational-after a Trotskyist re demands and the catastrophe of Sharpeville.

as a section of utionary party, But because of its petty-bour- revolutionar internationa forge geois which can fully meet the need those weapons adequately.

the south Atrican workig cas of While saluting the courage take the struggle forward Steve Biko, as a liberation fighter socialist revolution. and a leader of the black masses in The Af struggle in South believe it would be struggie, we be a central concern in must at the same wrong not to make the rebuilding of For time the necessary criticisms of the International. hack consciousness movement

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 forced by the sheer weight of forces opposing them to confron: with an understanding of the role of the political questions. Only 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 owt to do this, fighting consistently in the working class for transitiona!

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 agairist 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, ati ct 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 practicai struggle for the cort - in siste so-s sies ane method of Trotsky's Transitional Programme s fined to Britain. It requires an attention and 5=== struggles of the working class internationally, and the i g: i0-s0o struct the Trotskyist Fourth International.

So there has been a consistent drive within the iS- :: Jee movement's understanding of the history an te and enrich the present crisis of the Fourth International as an essential Da: of ou We urge ail readers who agree on the need for revolutionary reac "ha demands we but forward in find our more andit en arcar atm

LOBBY SPOTLIGHTS 'LEFT'

Page 4

TALKERS

The seeds of last week's complete collapse by self-proclaimed left-wingers were evident Labour's in the pre-conference public meeting staged by the Tribune Group the Sunday before.

The meeting, featuring no less than seventeen "left' MPs, was lobbied by a contingent of over 30 WSL members and where to hear Press readers demanding Socialist the Lib-Lab coalition. 'leaders' stood on the question of A WSL leaflet spelled out the link between the "lefts' and the Lib-Lab deal. 'Last week the Liberal Party Conference decided that if any left wing policies are adopted by the Callaghan govern- ment they will break the coalition.

This means that whatever left speeches are made by are absolutely worthless unless Tribune Group MPs they they are prepared to bring the coalition down.

According to the advertisers of this mentin, is is Group MPs on the plattorm.

will be 17 Tribune than enough to bring the government down (more more than the Liberals). this morning were to MPs on the platform If those declare that they would not place their votes in support of the Government on any policies which attack the working class, the coalition could not continue.

The responsibility for the continuation of the coalition rests squarely on the shoulders of the Tribune theretore Group MPs. The replies by the Tribunite MPs were unusually clear and unambiguous on this point.

Heffer, for example, was Eric asked by a carworker why he did coalition: to break fight not 'Why don't you get knotted?' re- Heffer, pushing way torted through lobbyers.

'NOT ACCOUNTABLE'

Veteran left talker lan Mikardo was equally explicit: 'Why don't you mind your own accountable business? 'm not you,' he spluttered on his way in to enthusiastically about the speak of MPs-a need for reselection demand to ne ignominously the week. later abandoned Only Denis Skinner attempted any serious answer on the coalition claiming that he had not question, yet had the chance of a vote for or against the Lib-Lab deal-but that if he did "get the chance' he would vote against it. And it was Skinner alone who took a similar stand from the plat- form of the meeting itself, declaring opposed to the deal: he was Indeed "If Jim Callaghan wants to get a Tribunite deal together tha.'s one private But for me to vote for it is that the thing. quite another thing'. political found himself in But Skinner with his complete agreement -ine Group motley platform colleagues on one central question: like them, he was says Kinnock outright where the Asked Tribune Group stands on the taking place struggles no w against the government's uni- 10% limit on wage lateral MPs were three increases, of prepared-in the sanctuary the meeting-to state a limited degree of support for workers.

ageing Tribunite Meanwhile an calmly Minister Michael TOOt proceedings from a surveyed the row-possibly in the back seat Callaghan, or for talent spotting revelling in nostalgia for the days in "left'. which he, too, used to talk Neil Kinnock declared outright ful not to 'Ford workers that in his opinion, would and should reject the new And been raised to which had orIer . himself declared Kinnock viewer government interven- opposed lo tion to prevent Fords paying over 10% picks fights 'If the government against hu Break the Coalition? "Get knotted" - Heffer these Ron Thomas not prepared to lift a finger in any present-day successor force a vote on the to Left tendency in the 1940s and the coalition, or for the removal of the Bevanites in the 1950s, the Tribune Callaghan leadership. Group remains purely a body for the one self education', with 'no whips, no spokesmen spelled

OUL

"left' resolutions, and no of this aspect grouping they value most is its the Group has no and inconerence wing very fact that the Tribune the right also appeared to is incapable of leading or developing campaigns. Fords: Reject 12 per cent' 'dangerous' to ment-not least electorally!

her distance, issue wages was matter' in which play a role. Skinner; too, the 12-month through any within the Labour and movement. the they struggle, in constraints general issues seemed likely. Heffer for instance kinnock state support for pay strikes now in progress. days mere with the Kinnock had changed his position telling a Radio inter- Others considerably, kept ment-but the government ought that 'be flexible on the 10% norm' prospects of and that each case should be viewed adopted Steel coalition. on the merits. unpleasant two-faced stance was DuCE PHOTO: Andrew Wiard. Report Jan Mikardo Ian Mikardo boasted that, as the to the Keep real structure. The fact that this ensures that power to fight and principles no be regarded as a In a meeting that throughout of nationalism and support for tacit imperialism, perhaps the most was obvious give-away on the Tribune plat- presence Orme, of Stan form a junior minister recently the labour move- Northern Ireland Yet at the same time Wise took Orme in his introduction assured proclaiming that th the meeting that despite this role, 'trade union presiding over the occupation, at least once a week he MPs could not socialist-continuing rejecting though attend i roune meerns. rule and the 10% To make sure he did not forget limit, did so strictly from the side- his socialism lines, with no intention of carrying meetings down in his desk diary!

fight for such views Orme came in trade union abuse from barrage lobbyers demanding he explain his "lefts' felt obliged to in Ireland, actions mince their words about the wages separate other such felt him-and remove him selves from holding

OTIN

from the plateor Tribunites • no action But other showing themselves as Ron

PUBLIC WORKS

particular used the cover provided taking of regaled the forth defence meeting with demands for a 35 hour hold of weck, and a programme of public nationalist claiming that these were works to end unemployment, along

COOLIO

justified because most all cuts. restoration came from Western Europe.

nodded ernestly in agrec- quiet

EXCLUDED

such policy ever the Callaghan- by Tribunite clearly excludes realities were sondarity Western workers of SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 12 October 1977 'Marxists' keep mum on real issues: No call to break pact Socialist While Workers League lobbyers fought to draw out the real position of MPs, no the Tribunite 'left support was forthcoming from the self-styled 'Marxists' of the Militant group. page of their the front Indeed 16-page 'Conference Special paper was turned over to the diversionary call for 'Socialist Policies Now!'

firmiy Such a demand, central call for the linked to the andrew Win breaking of the Lib-Lab coalition completely spurious. 16-pages did the nowhere Militant make this call As the WS leaflet stressed, the main decisions of the Labour Party conference had already been pre- empted by the Liberal Conference continue the deal with

VOLE

no Callaghan only so tons socialist policies were introduced Heffer call for for Militant "socialist policies" has always been no more than window dressing to opportunist camouflage cringing, relations with cringing, opportunist elements within the Labour Party.

obsequious way in which Militant clear sellers greeted Heffer and the other Renor failure 'lefts', and from their challenge the platform on anything other than import controls.

is borne out by the 7 And it Militant which of the headlines astoundingly collapse of left' opposition at the Labour Conference of left rhetoric of a handful the delegates. "The Marxist Paper for Labour Youth" proved its and has again real role as a cheerleader for the fake lefts and the right wing.

Orme Ireland man Orme rattled by hecklers reeked It is not socialist to be opposed controls' claimed.

DOT!

"What need workers' British controls, import control, retorted a heckler the to Thomas, rattled, went attack Trotsky as "out of date. 'He fiscal supported all kinds of until policies, he claimed. in 'He was an internationalist and a chauvinist, socialist not a responded another heckler.

FACE HIDDEN

imperialist moments of the In the closing been midetin his face in his hands, was Orme, hiding only these action stung into nol continual shouts but also by the Tom Selly Oak for a continual speech by the condemned

WSL

Litterick, who "shameful support government's for British imperialism in Ireland.

and that the Litterick had made a long contri- them- bution attacking careerist elements in the government-interrupted by shouts of "Ask Stan Orme!'

were Orme finally got to his feet and no better. called what Thomas denounced "fascism" on the part of "both the Provisional IRA and the Protestant collection extremists"-to roars of hostility.

of the He blundered on, attempting to import subject, claiming the change personal credit for the payment of imports child benefits. After the shouts abated on this it was left to Jo Richardson MP to up the views of the platform sum "internationalism' on the topic: "The pubs have been open for with Éurope! 47 minutes", she said

Strikes show need for- SOCIALIST PRESS, Mednesday 12 October 1977

LESSONS FROM

DESOUTTER

SELL - OUT

Last Monday week the 60 This argument-on the surface or so workers who had stayed reasonable enough-was false to the core. on at the Desoutter plant in The balance of forces was North London went back to dictated not by the numbers on the work-their spirits still high but by blacking picket line, the despite the blows dealt them which was undoubtedly hitting the employer hard. (From all accounts the previous week by the local the wages bill for security alone was AUEW leadership. The strikers returned to work without their convenor Fred

PRESSURES

Hopper, and without securing their demand-full union recog- Faced with such pressures and central lacking nition for the purposes of collective ieduersilp sufficiently experienced bargaining. in dealing The document which formed the with such manoeuvres, the strikers basis of the return can rightly be voted to accept the document as bureaucratic the basis of a return. called model of "individual" union Thursday they betrayal. Only following conceded, agreed to minus the return alu nowhere are there any references to though they returned elected shop handed in of full representatives. empty union noticeboard is to be union recognition, they go back of how provided-but all notices are first to their now own be submitted to management for District Committee will act in the vetting. IuluIe. Moreover, And capping this is the open McLoughlin's declaration that the AUEW recog- actually begged argument the nise management's right to run its question why many in such The enterprise a way as to returned. answer lay in the secure "maximum efficiency".

of finance, which question McLoughlin with his cronies on the

HARDSHIP

London North District tried to cut off throughout the dispute.

that may seem surprising But to draw out the full lessons 20 workers stayed for of the strike it is necessary for the weeks through great financial hard- Desoutter workers to go beyond ship should go back to work with mere awareness of how the bureau so little to show for it.

cracy will act, to a full understand- In truth, though, the return was ing of why thev act as they do forced on the workers bv a series We must begin an analysis of the of measures enacted by the bureau- bureaucracy from the point of view cracy throughout the strike.

of classes, not from consideration In the first place the AUEW- of individual bureaucrat's any locally well nationally- personal characteristics impose Socialist not a finger to Press we have national blacking Desoutters' consistently argued that the bureau- OH tools, despite the fact that even the cracy in no way reflect or fight for threat of such a move would have the interests of the working class.

quickly brought the employer to they form social heel. stratum which is entirely hostile to The Executive Council-on which the Desoutter workers were allegedly represented by Maoist and self-styled "Marxist-Leninist" Reg Birch- considered call for blacking, but rejected it, arguing that such a course would leave the union open to legal action.

for the AUEW leaders, Clearly the bosses laws stand higher than the defence of members' interests.

The local AUEW leadership-the CP-dominated London North onign fer Democracy in the Laboar Move District gIven Commitlee- nad tes trado unionists to des verbal support to blacking calls.

THE PAY OFFENSIVE

OUTSIDE LONDON

AND THE

_INFLATIO

Ironically the only places where

FIGHT

effective blacking occurred were all

FOR A

outside the London North District: Oxford, Sheffield and Heathrow

SLIDING

Airport.

SCALE OF

This do-nothing attitude blacking was outdone only by the treacherous attitude adopted by the

WAGES

District Committee on finance. Not Committee Conference did District members squash all calls for the Sunday Ostober 23 raising of a district levy.

but ther 10.30 - 5.00 failed even to take up collections in Digbeth Hall, Birminghows their own workplaces. And, as reported in the last issue Credentials 50p from: KEVIN LEE 44, DEVOHSHIRE RD of Socialist Press, the District Com-

HAMDSWORTH WOOD B'HAM 20.

mittee deliberately voted down a call for a levy knowing that this The wave of strikes pay would help drive the strikers back frombone end of the country to work. to the other is testimony to

WEAKNESSES

the determination of the It took divisional organiser Bill working class to confront the the McLoughlin though o out wage cutting policies of the finishing touches on the sell out. At Government. the mass meeting he divided the These fights, breaking out afresh strikers by harping non-stop on the strike's as every week goes by. put at risk weaknesses, rather than the cosy coalition between Labour pointing to any of its strengths. His aroument was that the doch.

DESATI

IS AVENS

independent working class activity; a parasite growth on the workers movement the influ- ence of the capitalist class within working class organisations.

FIGHT

Right throughout the Desoutter strike we argued that this break sharply could only de electea by fighting against the bureaucracy, by boxing them into a corner and by forcing them to provide the materials needed to win the strike.

the course of such a struggle we pointed out that a new leanersnip coud be bull capadie ol ousting the bureaucracy. Party The Socialist Workers (SWP) on the contrary, proposed purely organisational response to the question of how purge the trade unions of bureaucracy. conterence government more sacrifices, and threats to bankrupt firms which workers' demands-a policy meet which was part of the 1974 Liberal election manitesto. They confront also the policies collaboration which drive of class union leaders join with to undermining claims, employers selling out strikes and ensuring that the threat the government reduced to a minimum.

COALITION

If willingness to fight were the then sole

LILE ON

would not have survived Phase 2, coannon or nor, lel alone survivel to try to force through another year of wage cuts. The question leadership confronts pay strikes and those workers fighting the decimation of the health the queues of the unemployed and the struggles for bitter union recog- nition In the wages struggle, the crucial policy that must be advanced by for a sliding scale of

WUINCIS

GRUCK

Desoutter workers picket AUEW head office demanding support.

The SWP went on to argue that to sharply attack the District Com- would mittee for their inactivity "alienate" those elements on the District Committee who were "sympathetic" to the strike.

Individual Committee members did certainly vote for a district levy; but the District Committee as body voted the levy down By not ceaselessly exposing where ne stact committee sood the SWP actually covered up what the Committee were doing

BYPASS

They argued that all one had to do was to by-pass the District Com- organise at rank-and-file

THILLCC.

level and to establish direct links between workers different factories Such solution appeared very SEEKeRSNCE levels. This policy not only has the ability to maintain the living stan- dards of the working class despite the but also the

CANS

Sue a new eve Wage must be rises computed the TUC in collaboration not by with the but

COCONCILL.

elected committees of workers and housewives, determining what rise is needed to protect their standard of living. demand sweeps aside the diversionary hotch of producivity agrcements, mcentive schemes and bonus payments which are being used to dress up wage cuts and speed ups which the employers are trying to force through.

• he Cam paen tor Democracv ir the Labour Movement has made central to its policy since its first conference in October last year. It has shown the link between the deliberate of the Detravas union every sort struggle and their central task defending capitalism. The CDLM held the only confer Page 5 corresponded almost entirely with their own immediate feelings whe= confronted with sell-outs betrayals. Such was and a const entirely inadequate. for it merels allowed the local bureaucrats ic perform their work unhindered The bureaucracy are the ball and chain which hold the movement back. And just as one cannot get rid of a ball and chai: by pretending it is not there, so one cannot get rid of the trade unicr bureaucracy by ignoring it.

CUTTING THROAT

The last strike committee leaflet (produced by SW Litho) carried = statement saying that the London North District were in favour of blacking. At that very point the District Committee were in reality cutting the strike's throat. Equally amazing was the post- Socialist strike report in Worker (8 October). The AUEW Executive Council was mildly scolded for its "inability" to "take any decision on blacking" The very headline of the report blandly stating speaks volumes; "Desoutter Strike Ends" whereas coldly and cynically sold out. And nowhere in the article is there any reference to the fact that it was the Communist Party North the London dominated District Committee; instead there nostalgic the London North's past militancy What this militancy actually consisted of is unclear-but what i undeniable is that this reputation was gained in a period when even Jack Jones and Hugh Scanlon were considered red devils! The Desoutters sell out is the latest in a long list which extends from disputes current struggles at Grunwicks and Murphys.

STRANGLEHOLD

Every worker must seriously study precisely why and how the strikes were betrayed; but such study must be used as the basis of a fresh onslaught against the capitalist class and their bureau. within the workers movement. The question is how to free tie trade movement existing union stranglehold from bureaucracy. Offering the strikers new address in Seven Sisters Road is not enough. As Trotsky said: to seek out the where they are and to lead masses them." This is one of the major lessors of the Desoutters strike and one which there mus. worKers seriously grasp. other so called lefts were condemn- ing them as splitting the working Cass If the working class is to unite it must now do so on a programme independence which declares its from capitalism and all

SUBUOILOS

That is why the conference s

CDLM

birminglan Sunday October 23 comes at We critical time supporters of Socialist Press to give this conference full backing.

All orgaris. ations are invited to send delegates The conference also open individuals. The conference will = taking up not only the question si the wages surusele Grunwick Desoutters. and sacking of Hounslow Hospital are other vital unionisation battles

FLOOR SPEAKERS

Conference organisers have decided that this third will concentrate morE costelece than ever before on contributiors floor, from the Inviting speakers from a number of majo: struggles including Hounslow Desoutters, Leyland, the tunnellers.

Fire Brigades Union.

INLPE

the and others. More information ar.= credentials (50p) can be octate- from the conference secreta::

Page 6 teading SWP members Novack and Wolforth -accept Mandel's notions

ALL ROUND

CONFUSION

ON Concluding the two part analysis of positions of Trotskyist' tendencies . on Stalinism.

STALINISM

The criticisms that Trotsky- Hungarian CP chief Kadar - ope endorsing 'EuroCommunism'!

sts make of the regime in the In what way, then, can "turo- ISSR are fundamental. But Communists' be seen as a threat to they flow from a completely bureaucracies? Stalinist state the further, different class standpoint than even Mander goes claiming that in Eastern that of the French, Italian or however, Europe the "central question| Communist Party Spanish proletarian that leaders. democracy". stand These bureaucrats of both

PABLO

defence capitalism and the Stalinist bureau- Such statements hark back to cali apparatus. . the start of the 1953 split - in which Only Trotskyists stand for the political Pablo was artine negate shem- Trotskyist complete fait

TOT

Ecependence of the working class.

forces simply to the newly purged selves" into

DEFENCE

monolithic Eastern European CPS and wait for revolutionary abandoning the fight for Trotskyist at the same time only And parties to lead political revolution uphold the Trotskyists overthrow order principle of unconditional detence bureaucracy nationalised property the The fight for clarity on Stalinism

USSR

which relations in today is thus continuously remain the living gains made in the

AYCH

of consideration revolution of October 1917.

back unresolved problems of the past.

Trotskyists alone call clearly and Britain In Mandel's position is for political. consciously prepare the majority of the Inter- the parasitic rEvolution apta Dy Stalinist bureaucracy that feeds off national Marxist Group, who have carried extracts enthusiastically those gains. from the book by Spanish We there must stress under leader Carrillo. r.::iing progressive about either the siatements or the related actions of

HISTORY

CPs within the capitalist =: intries. skirting around Diplomatically They may make criticisms of the counter-revolutionary the obvious democratic rights in the of this former GPU agent lack of history Soviet Union-but purely in order Trotskyists of torturing accused and strengthen their during the Spanish Civil War, they Carrillo own position. hail the their statements have

JOI

'rehabilitate Trotsky and Can the galvanising impact attributed to Trotskyism' item by Ernest Mandel. leader The IMG assure us that Carrillo's the so-called majority will 'open up an important

DOOK

Secretariat of the Fourth 'United' Spanish discussion' among International. militants. "the statements of the Euro with these militants that of political Communists in lavour revolutionary socialists will have to pluralism and democratic freedoms conduct a dialogue' they proclaim.

received, not because are In pursuing such a 'dialogue' the avidiy they recognise capitalism and the arranged

IMG

Britain have bourgeois state, but because these 'debates with of so-called series "debate' on the treacherous practicev Stalinist hacks including veteran to the present form of political rule noted anti-Trotskyist Monty John- in Eastern Europe and the USSR".

while reprinting and uncritically reporting large chunks

ENDORSEMENT

by both material and speecnes OI But in the July 21 issue of In- the current split in the sides in

AN TAN

A Marxist analysis needed as basis to reconstruct the Fourth International Italian CP leader Berlinguer with Yugoslav President Tito so-called 'Euro Communism' no threat to Stalinist regimes exclude discussion completely to counter-revolutionary the politics of Stalinism, and

COULIC

instead on the secondary issue of "democracy'-both within the British CP and within the Soviet Union. In the public discussion between

IMG

spokesman Robin and the CP's Monty Johnstone on "Trotsky and Revolutionary Strat- egy in Europe" the IMG's debating society attitude to Stalinism came out clearly. Blackburn's contribution att- empted to compare the size of the that of the French British CP to section of the USFI. He advised Johnstone: "I think you should therefore and strategy seriously study the that Trotskyists have deb.

tactics ated over the last decades."

In this way Blackburn reduces Trotskyism differences between and Stalinism to a question of num bers, or simply "wrong" tactics ad- opted by Stalinist parties.

HEAD OFF

This leaves out completely the fact that the British CP leadership is not looking, and has no intention of looking for tactics to mobilise the working class in struggle.

. They are looking for manoeuvres to head workers' struggles off and dejuse in the name of 'peaceful coexist- ence. further, and Blackburn goes gives us a revealing insight into the reactionary political implications of the IMG's current "unity call paign. Mandel the Stalinists, Blackburn leaves out any reference to the Fourth Inter- national. And he attempts to pass off the history of Trotsky's struggle against Stalinism as a series of isol- 'specific contributions' ated understanding the development of bureaucra cv. And, having swept the Trotsky- contemptuously to ist movement friendly hand to khe Stalinists, call.

Blackburn extends ing for "the creation of a united Marxist There is a burning need party. for a framework of united action for all Marxists to the left of the Labour Party." Leaving aside the dubious notion British CP in practice that the "left' of the Labour stands to the incredible statement this Party, hands Stalinist free cred" entials as a "Marxist' For this reason the British CP accepted 'left' has gladly credentials handed to by the IMG, and sent speakers to partici- *And the id has responded ns.

pate silent throughout the remaining of the British Stalinists in the class struggle

DEPTHS

Such are the depths to which Mandel's followers have British sunk. But their inability to analyse or fight Stalinism is shared by other 'United' forces within the motley Secretariat. Until a few weeks ago the main statements are seen as an allerl SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 12 Ocsober 1977 Leninist USFI-the so-called Trotskyist Faction -followed US Socialist • ot the Workers Party (which itself legislation barred by reactionaly from international affiliation).

But in the wake ot the swi hasty this August convention marriage has been rushed through which the LTF has dissolved itself into majority tendency

SWP

the shares Certainly Mandel's complete contusion the role of Stalinism and that have produced the processes so-called phenomenon Euro-Communism.

PROGRESSIVE

Mandel's The

SWP

accepts Western CPs have notions Eastern criticised 1n Europe and the USSR because of "pressure from the masses', and that such criticism is progressive.

and It has one e to these gone offered 'advice' best Stalinist leaders as how from the defend For instance Intercontin- Kremlin. of ental Press has say Carrillo's Moscow's attack on book this French and tallan well for does not unev Kremlin be decimated or factional operations. 'may only of support tively by its own from workers' requires putting interests above coexistence with cabanals Otherwise the the by may of Stalinist contradictions opportunism. to The

SWP

after 'workers to the years of betrayals. Instead, by fostering the illusion that mass Stalinist parties can be transformed into parties responsive demands of the revolutionary

SWP

the working class the 15 dredging up all the worst confusion and blunders which orougil lu the Trotskyist movement split in 1953 and the unprincipled 'reunification' of 1963.

DEGENERATION

participant in major

AHO LUCI

the leadership of the nose events present-day Workers Revolutionary appearance of gives the Party, analysis of the nationalist correct mass non- tendencies the ruling Communist Parties.

But the theoretical degeneration of the WRP distorts this analysis.

For instance, while

COTTELLI

of the term the use 'Euro-Communist' to describe these

WRP

tendencies, the nationalist argue for the parallel proceed to term 'Euro-Stalinist"-restricting its application to Europe. This is of course wrong. pressures within the Stalinist move- ment are worldwide-affecting, for CP, the example CP the Communist

SOCIALIST PRESS, W'ednesday 12 October 1977 Pablo himself went far becoming an adviser to Ben Bella in Why does the WRP not ram this point very good ror the reason that Pablo's attitude to Ben Bella was almost exactly the same as the WRP's present attitude to the Gaddafi dictatorship Libya where the WRP has dropped any for a Trotskyist party all sectarian currents, Ine bourgeois nationalists, but extends to the WRP view of Stalinism also.

detence of the Stalinist leadership Communisi Party, against the historical analysis presented by the Workers Socialist League. This has involved the WRP WRP leader Gerry Healy in excusing the Stalinist murder of Parties in and the Latin America, Indian CP which maintained until the for the end its support Gandhi dictatorship. WRP supporters banned by

FALSE

peenne The WRP editorial in Lahour emerged with a pledge that Carrillo Review No 2 makes some correct points against Mandel, but goes on would campaign for the legalisation of the Trotskyist' Communist to say: 'Mandel's position Workers League! however, no accident. For it is the continua- In case readers are curious as to of the WRP's banned tion of the the topic original revisionist line forward by his Pabloite meetings, both were intended as a put tendency: that the pressure of the platform to denounce veteran SwP working class could bring about the leaders Joseph Hansen and George Novack as GPU agents! self reform of the bureaucracy

USSR

inside the and une

REAL AGENT

Stalinist in capitalist parties But even while Redgrave pleaded countes rema state po de.

This and defining with a real GPU agent to secure her remains characteristic of Pabloism'. (empha- platform to frame up these two SWP leaders, the pages of Labour sis added). This conclusion is just not true.

Review were carrying a correct false of post-war formal statement Stalinism: alaiyys *Stalinism remains for us, unlike Stalinism only one "defining characteristics of Mandel and all revisionists, what it Pabloism always main counter Essentially, Pabloism consists of revolutionary force in the working an abandonment of Marxist analysis class throughout the world. This and an opportunist looking was Trotsky's position since 1933 forces other than the revolutionary and it is ours today. There never at the head of the working class to bring about the overthrow with Stalinism' compromise of capitalism.

FOR!

LABOU

CONTE

Redgrave It is the post-war counterpart of A chronic separation between the opportunist tendency Trotsky theory and practice has been the unalysed in Stalinism: root of much of the degeneration One of the psychological sources of the WRP since the mid 1960s. opportunism superficial Today it has brought that move- mpatience, the lack of confidence, ment to Is lowest ebb, politically lack of confidence in the and organisationally. growth radual of the party's the desire afluence, win the

LO T

ESSENTIAL BASIS

passes with the aid of an organisa.

¡onal manoeuvre or personal diplo- nacy. Out of this springs the policy The fight for a Marxist analysis 1 combinations behind the scenes.

of the present day trends within le policy of silence, of hushing up, Stalinism and TOr an exammation sell-renunciation. ot the sources of the confusion that vi duator the ideas and slogans of others; is rampant within every wing of the finally, divided Trotskyist movement inter- the compiele passage the positions of opportunism'.

nationally is an essential basis for ‹Communism and Sundicalsh the tight to reconstruct the Fourth International While in 1953 the Pabloites up- In such a struggle it is clear that eld an 13y claim and that

CASTRO

BI TONY RICHARDSON

CRIMINAL LAW

ACT GIVES

MAGISTRATES

NEW POWER

The Criminal Trespass law is being introduced at a time of massive unemployment, falling living standards, continuing savage cuts in public spending, large scale homelessness.

and Originally the brainchild the Heath government, it is being implemented by now Callaghan's Lib-Lab coalition in a bid to tame the working class. In fighting back against these conditions, occupations of factories tions have taken place to fight off itumnaancies and closuies Since the Upper Clyde 'work-in' of 1971, well over 200,000 workers up by four hospitals in the last year to oppose closure and to ensure that patients and equipment Squatters: Over 30,000 homeless people have been forced to squat' houses in England and Wales, to get heads tee Incleases

• CHITC

such Now the Criminal Law Bill (Part 2 of which is commonly known as the Criminal Trespass Law) has been passed and has become the Criminal Law Act 1977. creates five new new law criminal offences relating trespass, and threatens with jai and heavy fines those taking part in any occupation, work-in, 'squat' or sit in. It gives the police new powers to enter, search and arrest without a warrant the on grounds suspicion that one of the tive new 'crimes' has been committed sentences of up to 6 months and fines of up to £i,000. This legislation lights the treacherous role of local trade union leaders who workers and sending them to prison.

FINING WORKERS

How is it really feasible for such people to ever lead a working class meaningful organisation into any tenther are fring 3i suva 3 ibe 50 Laylands Bad: he Bar Secretar Roche, together with his arch Deputy Chairman Alec Morton, are both prominent members of the magisterial bench.

Full time Oxford TGWU District Secretary David Buckle is himself a J.P Together with the Sheriff of 5/60 Oxford, Branch Chairman The Rev. Tony Williamson O.B.E., these trade union leaders act as a godsend to capitalism in its efforts to police and pacify the working class.

ARRESTS

Judicial rulings the courts (like the attacks on picketing and the injunctions against occupations of course been part of the have latest capitalist offensive against the working class. 400 pickets have been arrested outside Grunwicks Pickets alone were arrested _during the hotels disputes in Oxford and heavy fines were imposed on trade unionists, fascists and right wingers in the same disturbances arrested got off scot free or with minimal ines TGWU District Secretary David Buckle had asked members of his union to picket these hotels (The Randolph Hotel and The Linton Hotel) Lodge But could well he have found himself in the position of being asked to sit on the judicial bench that imposed fines on those very same trade unionists!

is rife Similar collaboration the throughout trade union movement. 1s no tactic. tenants,

SCE VICE

Lo uelenu nose aLacked What's more. caretaker, management gudlu rang the police and claimed that they had been threatened the any occupation Donce Cola rela and make arrests without a warrant.

ex-licencee so matter could be evicted without a court order at any time, if they were out of their home. Adverse occupa tion of residential property homeless Page СЕ ЕКРТІ

PROPERTY

DIRECT

there is residential accomodation, if claimed that access to that Under this offence for example, landlords who could claim to use a property occasionally as a residence pulling a lew scant lems or furniture in it) would be allowed of employees take any action-inclu- ding violence-to evict squatters or ex-licencees without going through the courts OFFENCE 3: "Trespassing with an offensive weapon' police to intervene in any factory occupation for instance, the management claimed that someone had used something as an offensive In law an offensive weapon can be anything: tools, coins, shoes, butter knives 4

OFFENCE

Trespassing on embassy premises This offence explicitly makes completely peaceful occupations of embassies (like the Iranian students' occupation their ot class, 1975) -a criminal offence

OFFENCE

obstructing a Bailiff or Sheriff' occupying their work place, home, college, etc., could be arrested immediately obstructed, even passively, court officers sent in by the owner evict them. Pickets protecting occupation would also arrest. Leyland Body Plant convenor Bill Roche JP Алу person meeting advocating or agreeing to take any action which leads to arrests under these offences could be charged will ConsoIraCy The maximum penalty for ear: of these offences is six months in thi exception of theori the offensive offence where 121 nee months. tried by ::herea 'crimes: al charges law will be heard Magistrates Courts This brings back the us to GuestIon officials could represent the ing class in . their strugeles while a the same Magistrates enforcing capitalism's laws jailing and fining the Forking ass the figh ruling =3ss should

MILITANT' COVER

FOR LEYLAND UNITY

Tunnel Miners Fight TGWU Page 8

FRAUD

TGWU

Convenors have It is hard to see any difference ended their sham 'opposition' between this and the position of to the plans of the British But this position not just the NEB Leyland Board and verbally defended "Militant'. to restructure wage bargaining At the meeting of Leyland Cars reached Agreement has been convenors on August 4, referred to with the national officials of the Ashworth's 'Militant' in article, involved, unions and now the followers supported a motion from Confed is to be used to tackle the Rover stewards. real obstacle to the plan-the bitter hostility of the British Leyland

ACCEPTANCE

Povierce. The new wages structure which This motion called …tor the is central to management strategy is of the corporate based acco ance the of 'principle' and

HOT

centralised, corporate, immediate corporate of claim bargaining. div vu per week This is not a goal in itself, but is It was eventually voted down by step towards the the slimmest of margins. employers ultimate goal-industry But Ashworth defends the wide, American-style legally motion in clear terms: binding Master Contracts "The right to factory autonomy', negotiated by the top officials of he says, 'goes against the experience the major unions and only reviewed and principles of the labour and every two or three years.

trade union movement'. 'Our over- riding responsibility',

DESTROY

he goes strike for the unity of all workers. 'Is to At this stage Leyland for support his argument want to destroy the makeuchl abstract divorced Irom Ine principle of plant level bargaining of world, requirements the real their Ashworth points to the two miners much power and indepen- gives too strikes. dence to the shop floor. These, he says, were examples of It is not surprising that Leyland corporate bargaining breathle management have been supported "unity'. in this by the trade union leaders, in particular Scanlon of the AUEW

MASSIVE FALL

and Evans of the TGWU. The starting of these Yet miners' wages fell massively point payments officials has long been the viability after flat rate and of the employer and they do not corporate bargaining were brought flinch in sacrificing their members to that end. Workers however, may find more surprising the staunch support self-styled of the everones Militant Group. This regard group corporate bargaining as an important step towards the "unity' of the working class. The position of the Militant group on this is argued at some Action has been suspended Rover iength by for four weeks in a unionis- Bob Ashworth the convenor in ation dispute involving tunnel Militant' of August 12th, entitled miners in struggle with 'lump' Unity for One Claim. employers.

MANAGEMENT

TGWU officials are once again at the centre of attempts to sell out a In many ways the article articu- section of their members engaged in management policy Lates struggle over union organisation.

official company yet inis is not an easy Job loI union officials face to face with the spokesman. Certainly it makes a significant determination and experience of these the Leyland's workers who have spent campaign to force last three years building up their corporate In against the bargaining. national own Many combined hostility of TGWU head- formulations used Ashworths article could have been quarters and building contractors.

itted straight standard

NOTORIOUS

management propaganda material.

Ashworth tells us, for example. The present dispute has been about the collaborationist working precipitated by the notorious lump party of convenors set up this year Murphy of Highbury is open the door for management: Corner, North London. *The working party of convenors Whereas other contractors, officials was set-up following the toolmakers dispute to Leicester, Preston, London, eg, and bring order into the have given Employ to the tunnellers' inarchic Leyland demand members off regotiations. their list, Murphy has been put up

'ANARCHY'

as tne one to break the arranee- In response to this the tunnellers Ashworth attack to

LUCS

incentives. He does so however not branch called out al their members and stopped 39 irom the principled position (that the country. incentive schemes cause They have been picketing the troyment) from the nUT Finsbury Park site. and even sat in postion that: 'We (?) have ended the hole for 48 hours Diecework'

5MASH

ArAl

SOCIAL

CONTRACT

SOCIAL

•

ONFLICT

This was only reversed years later, when the miners had reached close to the bottom of the wages league. Corporate bargaining is designed to hand the advantage to the employer. The influence of the strong replaced by the influence of the weak. Under plant bargaining the strongest plants lead the tied on wages and bring forward the rest.

disturbed by these carryings on only a few hundred yards from his oftice against an employer who is said to donate a large • amount oi money to the TGWU every year.

Especially annoying for him is the fact that these workers, with hate and distrust all

ZOO TENOT

TGWU

full-time officials, partic- ularly Regional Secretaries.

They have attempted to by-pass them through organising themselves and not being account- national able to regions; and of paying their own full timer, Pat Duffy.

Todd has tried to portray things as an inter-union dispute and main-

TGWU

members are Laine unal digging the tunnel but are just not members of the tunnelers branch.

He made an ostentatious visit last Thursday morning to inspect the cards of the scabs and to every- one's amazement five scabs produced

GMWU

Cares -aor they had hotly maintained up till that then they were members! Todd then had a discussion with Murphy and his solicitor later in the day Transport House, although Murphy maintains he has nothing do with hiring the labour. Pat Dutty is not recognised by the TGWU and was refused admitt- ance but the branch committee officials Todd later and Kavanagh. These officials stressed that they

SOC

CONTRACE

SOCIAL

CON TRIG

Longbridge workers marching against wage control earlier this year Under corporate bargaining the first plants to accept a company offer undermine the rest.

'unity' If this kind of abstract is to be the order of the day, the problem is-where does it stop? If Measured Day Work creates more 'unity' than piecework, and if corporate bargaining creates more 'unity' than plant bargaining, does follow that industry-wide hol bargaining would create more 'unity' than even

OFFICIAL

STRIKE

TOW (INION

TUNNEL MINERS NAMES

with the Employers' Federation on a closed shop. Unfortunately they said the hundreds of pickets at Finsbury • this agree could be ment action only SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 12 October 1977 bargaining? We could take the argument further: if "unity" is created simply by widening the bargaining units, then the ultimate in 'unity' must be the social contract-through which organised workers were supposedly by the represented

TUC.

FALSE 'UNITY'

It is clear to everyone that such 'unity' is false. It simply creates the best conditions for the employers What must be developed instead is a fighting unity. A unity which starts from the independence of the working class from the trade union and the defence bureaucracy workers' living standards.

done cannot by accepting corporate bargaining -even with a "democratically elected' negotiating committee done recognising and defending the right every group of workers to struggle for wages. Once you reject that principle you raise some awkward questions.

What would 'Militani for do example, now they have accepted bargaining, about workers in a plant who refused to accept a pay deal and struck against the majority decision of the rest for an improved offer?

BROUGHT TO HEEL?

Should such workers be brought to heel in the interests of 'unity'; or would 'Militant' support them 1 their bid to break up the corporate structure? The need 'left not tor of formulations management but policy, an independent programme pointing the way which workers can fight to regain and defend their standard of living.

This basis for the Is une only unity of the working class.

Officialdom _

O HALLORAN

1S MURPHYS MP

NOT TRE WORKING

M.P Tunnellers pickets morning unfortunately swallowed this line and voted to suspend action. other sections tunnellers have workers. TOe Man! W101005 31335 :300

GADDAFI'S ASYLUM FOR

MAUDLING & BOOTH

SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 12 October 1977 Party has created new picions as to its relationship viciously the anti- with of dictatorship communist Gaddati of Colonel Muammar Libya. The September 14 edition of the News WRP's daily paper carried, sandwiched next to ten columns of a speech by Gaddafi, a the Workers frenzied attack on Socialist League. Line particular, News attempted to refute an article from in which we Press

COCTIN

highlighted the reactionary nature and of the grovelling support extended to it by the war leadersmp In tael press We had shown how this also current position of the WRP stood contradiction to earlier, stark correct made Dy lne 1969 and same

SUCTS

Permanent Trotsky's theory Revolution.

DISTORTED

The News Line reply felt unable to confront the real points being made and set out instead to distort accusing the WL of our argument, '"off letting Egyptian leader Sadat hook by our critique of the the Of course the WL extended no support for Sadat. would we

NOT

extend support to Gaddafi in a war these two reactionary between the Jones It was a stirring way to Party preface the Labour Jack Jones conference. off, calling for sounding clean up in the labour move- ment. no to fat No corruption, salaries and a life style in the super tax bracket. No to the embarassing that crash exposures seem Party Labour around other week. The press caught the measured tone of Jones' heartfelt plea with respect-flat cap Jack, grudging unaffected by the spoils of power; the only man at the orgy with his shirt still on. Of Mrs. Evelyn Jones' reaction know less. Her speeches corruption are not thought worthy of reporting, and as far the public is aware she gets on with her own life quietly in Dulwich-the Jones' south London home. But Mrs. Jones is apparently an expert on tne

O WE

Redditch in future development of Worcestershire and this special has earned her a place Kao wieure the Redditch Development on CorporatIon This job is not actually elected. In fact appointments to the board are at the whim of government ministers or civil servants in their departicul £700 a The post yields only expenses free, with year, thrown in. fact some has an up to do. Her husband catching Jack can show a clean pair of heeis when it comes to "Quango" jobs.

In addition to his £145 a week Trans- of the as general secretary port and General Workers Union, he receives €1.870 a year as deputy bourgeois regimes. does not start from searching, the stalinist manner, "progressive" sections of the for bourgeoisie to give our support to, but the trom

PRESS GANG

Keeping up with as an ACAS council member.

Nice work if you can get it. And £10,300 year can live you 'modestly' and you need never get your hands dirty. * * Property developer Ramon Greene has a few debts to pay- £15 million pounds to be exact. He says he has assets of £30,473 not quite enough to go round Mr who made and lost Greene. his fortune in property deals which are not thought to have involved much hard physical likely be declared bankrupt to at the end of the present hearings.

this mistortune

OYI CUTIES

Mr Greene, he will not of course be able to keep pies ol money to comfort stashed in the bank his sorrow. How fortunate then that he had the forsight to give away about relatives £800,000 to friends and will be unaffected by any ruling. Could it be that the £114,998 worth of jewellry he gave his wife could birthday present. possibly pay the rent it things get really bad? George Baker has been Sir 42 years but married

TOT

expert on divorce. of the family As president division of the High Court he has just revealed that one in every two and a half marriages end in the divorce courts. A sign of the recognition of past mistakes? A reflection of a major social change in attitudes to family life"? Well George yes and no. believes, like us, that capitalism still has need of the family ties.

he told the conterence at which he released his figures that "society working class organisations exist in Libya. They fail therefore to inform us how this limited distribution clearly weapons to the population under the control of the Libyan state and armed forces, is any more "revolutionary" than the armed Home Guard established in Britain during World War II.

'SECULAR'

Perhaps more incongruously, the WRP claim that Gaddafi supports the call for democratic. secular state of Palestine is thrown into doubt by the first five words of Gaddafi's speech on the same page: "In the name of God [!] it gives pleasure first to salute the me brothers and friends who guests, have come from all over the world to take part with us in the great popular celebrations which are held today to mark the eighth anniver- sary of the great First of September Revolution

DELEGATION

These international visitors included an official delegation from Maudling the WRP. independence complete political But it has proved impossible to of the working class.

WRP

whether the continin While of course we have not delegation was present at the grand failed to give critical support even British beer-up held on September to bourgeois leaderships of colonial 29 commemorate eight again to countries when forced into struggle years of Gaddafi's rule Certainly the

WRP

leadership against imperialism, we have always might have felt somewhat uncom- started from the need for the working class to organise indepen- fortable at this function, organised in a plush West End hotel dently within such struggles.

on an Libyan unlimited budget by the

THROWN OVERBOARD

did salur. While champagne at £20 a bottle The WRP have clearly thrown and the range of expensive rrench wines and liqueurs would no doubt overboard this cardinal principle of Trotskyism. . They make this crystal have gone down easily, it is possible

WRP

that even the new clear when they assert that: 'If Gaddafi is a 'dictator' he is "principles" might balk at rubbing shoulders with some of the 1,250 the first in history to announce the arming of the people with light and guests Prominent MPs, High Commis- heavy weapons. sioners and 40 ambassadors flooded WRP are silent on the 1 ne

PUNK ROCK - NOT ALL

ROTTEN?

A personal view of the latest 'New Wave' of pop music, by IAN BURNS. doubt Everybody has no business was only too happy to provide them with it. heard of the popular cult of Thus the modern record It first came to Punk-Rock. industry was hatched. the notice of the masses when way we dress, hairstyles, The Punk heroes, "The Sex Pistols', attitudes to race and class used four-letter words during a and most of all our attitudes to sex, television interview, and the have all been shaped to a certain Press the extent by the exploitation popular spent fashions by music the following days discrediting the media. whole movement. Unfortunately though, the The main reason for this obvious that started out as groups over-reaction lies in the tact that Punk Rock has a relatively high level of political motivation.

Its main aim is to bring music back to the streets. It is rock music, as music of the working-class, being played by working-class kids and not the millionaire rock stars, that the past generation has created.

It also dares to attack the estab- lished authorities which govern its existence and in cong endured probably the worst back- the Tory establishment lash from that musicians in recent years have had to endure. Records have been banned and interfered with; concerts have been cancelled, bad and much publicity has been built up that members of groups have been Sex Pistol singer Johnny Rotten beaten up on the streets.

Throughout of course, history revolutionaries' in the past, the politically been

MOSC

who helped erode motivated and influenced.

onles standards and restrictive principles, For most teenagers this began in have all finally accepted the the Fifties kids sought life which has Page 9

BY JOHN LISTER

the Libyan revol celebrate in to ution, sitting at 100 tables in a ball- room banked with flowers.

COALITION MINISTERS

partners Possible conversation for any WRP delegation would have included leading members of the Lib-Lab coalition government- Secre- Employment wage cutting Booth; Social Service tary Albert and the destroyer David Ennals; man currently in charge of Britain's of occupation in Ireland- " al 11l ! Roy Mason all Of course was not There were other "Ter Labourites. olutionaries" unable present, the lure of unlimited food drink and at the and overved prospect of celebrating the eighth anniversary of • Gaddafi's coup. Perhaps the most famous oi these 'revolutionaries' Lord Longford and financier Sir James Goldsmith, though no bration would be complete without the congenial figure of that noted Marxist, Reginald Maudling Such a party certainly places a question mark over Gaddafi's state- straight-faced by quoted

LENTILL.

News Line, that the Libyan regime "a political asylum is henceforth for revolutionaries from all over the world'

LONG DISTANCE

Socialist Press has been unabl to confirm whether or not a WRF delegation was present feast. But if no delegation was sent the obvious question is win then the WRP chose to travel thousand of miles to Tripoli to participate ir an identical event, but not to take : taxi a few miles to the West End?

Is class collaboration only accep table to the WRP at long distance?

Again repeat our demand that the wke account to the inter for national movement their brazen violation of Trotskyls 'principles and their cringing subser vience to the reactionary Gaddar regime. problems which sparked to the them off. It is true that these same pitfalls will soon become a danger to the new wave of bands. Many have just jumped on the bandwagon in order to gain wealth and fame. It remains to be seen the same 11 No-one can deny, however, tha: people are taking a serious attitude about the political nature of a to of Punk-Bands M.P. has said that i One Tory this music threatens to destroy tha institutions of our society, then wie must destroy it first The Socialist Workers Party ha started a group which utilises rocs combat racism and tha has the support of a lot of Puni Bands-although it is in 'gimmicky' of S#P style the We must hope of course,

TONA

of the seriousness Lne oppressors will be reflected in it= stance of the musicians and followers. The more established wea.:=: rock musicians are now fighting t their interests. Some Britist would perform part Liberal Party's Election Campaig: no doubt. of it simply because, Liberals pledge to reduce the mari to around 50% Perhaps the Punks are not ngt in everything, but in turning peopl away from this selfish and corru: rock aristocracy that have a cans

INDUSTRIAL NEWS

SABOTAGE CLAIM-MARCH AGAINST

MASS PICKET AND BLACKING

Page it

CP HELP

On Friday October

TGWU

shop stewards at

BLMC

Cowley Body Plant received the company's reply to their claim for an increase week of £33.64 on top a cost of living with wages clause. that Leyland That reply was were not willing to break the 12 done month through the shop stewards accept- ing their corporate bargaining offer.

aver since the claim was agreed overwhelming majority of Dy an wing have been stewards the right preparing to get it dropped.

NO INFORMATION

The main basis of this prepar- ation has been ensuring a complete lack of information to the member- ship. Many of the members didn't know the claim nao been submitted. This silence was supple- mented by delaying tactics which that Friday's meant stewards meeting was held a week after the claim was meant to nave been paid During this period the right wing created massive

•IVET ON

'incentives. They claimed talk of incentives offered way wIn money without a fight. This is because of course the also talking about company incentives. workers having So with most just come back off a long lay-off through the Lucas dispute; with a number on the Marina track 1aet just starting another lay off; with the company again lili calenillig Not a finger has been lifted by the TUC in support of the Grunwick strike since the grand-sounding but empty resolution was passed • last month. The strike committee nas res- ponded by taking a belated but step towards indepen- necessary issuing a call for mass dence by picketing to resume from October In doing so they have thrown bid

APEX

General out the by Secretary Roy Grantham, who tried desperately to force strikers to rely intentions' the 'good

TUC.

little that. There Grantham fails to regain control over une again resort to the threat of with- drawal of strike pay in his efforts to restrict the dispute.

CONFLICT

It is not a question of "ignoring" Socialist Workers Party would have helen Raise: must + 1 Nutfiold Press + 3 Production Purchasing Assombly Plant 10→ closure; and with the recognition that the fight against the 12 month rule would also be the

TGWU

leadership the right wing consucred now was tne dest time to make their move. In the usual tradition of the right wing LaSS held. Individual opinions only were Laken.

PROCEDE

Indeed where meetings of

SECUONS

were pronounced clearly in favour proceeding with the claim But through the of asking a handful of individuals none of this class solidarity could be felt.

So the

DULE

NEEDED AT GRUNWICK

of itself and cannot win the dispute. The strike committee must therefore struggle enlist the HOTO: Andrey Jack Dromer of office active support post workers, electricians and water workers both for directly board blacking and the imposing such struggle to make ofticia.. lobbies This means joirt union executive C027-

ICECTALE

mittees and distric: committees

STOKE CLAIM

Workers at Chrysler's Stoke are still Plant in Coventry 25% claim pursuing pay passed by a mass meeting over a month ago. will Increasing pressure brought to bear on these workers, especially now that Chrysler's other main plants, Ryton in Coventry and Linwood in Scotland, have voted to accept the Company's 5% offer

PLAISTOW CUTS

Leyland Cars Cowley General Stores 12$ Body Plant Service 6 Ports DivisionLINPART + stewards meeting discussed the claim the company reply was simply noted and the claim 'left on the table'

PROP

The work of the Communist Party was essential to this right CP sabotage. WulE openly argued of and company wine vargaming against proceeding with the claim on the grounds that their members wouldn't fight. Such arguments provided a vital prop for the right wing. 700 people On October, marched through Plaistow and East Ham defence of in general correct, it would have real Plaistow Maternity Hospital in significance at this point only The rumour is now rife that the the event of an attempt by Ward to Area Health Authority close the factory. plants Christmas- close the hospital by

ABSTRACT

though no official notice of a date has been given Taken on its own as an abstract The work-in at the hospital slogan, the nationalisation demand, continues and the workers' Action by strike committee supported keep committee is determmed to spokesman Jack Dromey, of Brent the services provided functioning.

Council, "rades diversion from the immediate fight

PICKETS

for blacking action. Brent East

CLP

Indeed the In the wake of the Hounslow Labour conference resolution atfair, a call is now going out for (endorsed by • the strife committee though not discussed at conferences labour movement the area to provide pickets in the went further and actually conceded an attempt remove the argument of got wine unon equipment from the hospital.

officials that blacking "illegal" A decision nas also been taker to approach the unions of workers

PROTEST

the who might well find alca themselves scab Or There is no point in bleating in the fight by taking away furniture Callaghan-Steel and curting off supplies.

DIOTeST Une for socialist The fight coalton government hon sands de le legislation. crossroads. The demonstratior ara The task activities now is twofold: to other have shown mobilise full support for there is a wide basis oi support = October London the rast maso 4Icd and to mobilise blacking action and hospitals have already been closed ensure full support for any section result the government s as a such victimised the sperding cuts. action as well as to e breas But said atte: Lib-La: which the mantr SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 12 October 1977 which was deferred under Phase 2 from Ryton joined those Laves Stoke from in rejecting the 5% offer However, stewards recom- mended acceptance at the Ryton mass meeting last week. same meeting rejected changes in company proposais for sickness benefit, of security earnings and incentive schemes.

•PHOTO: Angela Philips, IFL The first London hospital work in at the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson protests of various kinds.

Yet there is a widespread recog nition that protests to David Ennals et al have never saved the hospitals already closed. The government and the Area Health Authority can simply ignore this kind of activity Workers Socialist League leaflet distributed march on the pointed out that the fight against the cuts, to be successful, must be based on strike action, not a polic cap-in-hand the authorities. demand must be that the hospital workers unions pledge to call solidarity strike action in other and call sections of public services, with members East industry docks ana ne London to do likewise Such a perspective for the fight that sharp Sidius LOLIdSL (pursued and peddled by the Com munist Party and others! of simply councillors requesting Labour to "speak out or protest to the Area Healch Authoriti The =3:0303 of the shes strategy 40801003 of :: then Fintes

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MASSED POLICE BACK

Page 12 HOTO: (Shrin Davion, Raport Home Secretary Merlyn Rees Prentice: throw out his friends Labour Party militants will welcome the long delayed departure of Reg Prentice to the Tories as a breath of fresh air. But the Labour Party is not out of the woods yet Prentice's former admiration of MPs and that groub

SOCICEY

bureaucrats that petitioned in his support and sought to defend him against moves to unseat him as MP still remain in the upper echelons of the Labour Party, the main bed- rock of support for the Callaghan- steer coanton. Constituency parties must take this seriously. Motions must be put Report down demanding that those all members with a history of backing Prentice follow his lead and clear out of the labour movement.

PHOTO: Chris Davies Those that refuse do should be expelled. Meanwhile, even as Prentice's forms being were stamped at Tory Central Office, writs were still flying at Newham NE Labour Party last week.

Hotel strike 200 GMWU members at the

PROF

London Metropole Hotel near Marble Arch began indefinite strike action on 10 October in support of a claim for a £50 minimum wage. Some of the strikers-mainly waiters and chambermaids porters, little £30 and the - call chambermaids who "live in" receive only f9 of this. Talks broke down last Saturday when management invoked the 12 month rule, claiming that the had received last theit increase only last March.

Messages of support and financial contributions should be sent to Mr. A. Gager, 76, Hatherly Road, Walthamstow, London E17.

SOCIALIST

PRESS

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FASCISTS

For anyone who maintains won for the counter picket before illusions the police ban showed that, had the in the political fascist march gone ahead as planned 'neutrality' of the state the the thousands of workers mobilised situation in Manchester on in opposition would have been in a 8 October ought to have position to gain important offered a stark lesson. experience as a force independent of the police and the state.

An estimated 9,000 police using helicopters roadblocks were and

COURTS

mobiised in unprece- dented exercise to protect the fascists of the National Front It is this that the bureaucrats of Outnumbering by about five labour the movement tear times the total number of demon- period 'leaders' these on both water alt strators sides, the police increasingly prostrate clearly utilised the situation to gain of the courts (as at intrusions experience tor future confrontation Grunwicks). with the working class. The number one priority of the

BODYGUARD

bureaucracy is to police Callaghan Healey's and wage-cutting pay When Martin fascist leader policy Webster carried out his one mar means holding back the 1 nis protest march through Tameside it increasing sections of workers was with the backing of a police coming forward to assert their own bodyguard numbering thousands class interests to regain and defend This, together with the their standards of living.

contessed collusion of Manchester Chief Constable Anderton

OPPOSED

keeping secret the venue of the NF march later in Levenshulme Tameside has shown quite shows clearly that the original clearly that the police ban, far from Tameside ban imposed under the being merely an 'unreliable' means was part of Public Order Act defeating the fascists (as the major move to restrict democratic Socialist Workers Party and the rights not of the fascists but of the International Marxist Group assert) workers' movement. was not a result of the 'pressure' the mass mobilisation, but the

HOME SECRETARY

opposite-a bid to prevent such a mobilisation from taking place.

All this takes place under the All such bans should be opposed direction of Labour Home Secre- by the labour movement The tary Merlyn Rees. Meanwhile those indications are already quite clear burezucrats inal ine lascists can be dealt with Barnett of the North West TUC, provided there is a consistent fight whoswere so keen to support the for workers selt defence.

ban in Tameside and In every ared affected, the ponce suppress support the Trades demand should be taken up for the Council's picket of Webster, act on setting of the basis of considerations going squads based on the trades unions the struggle the bevond against protect movements and immi- fascists. grants' areas etc agaust increasing The mass support that was being fascist provocations.

UP WITH CABOR

the National Steering Committee Cont'd from Front Page. of Public Sector Unions gations on the lobby announced plans for a week of Workers at Great Ormond St.

action against the cuts Hospital have blacked November-almost a year to the private ambulances and NHS ambulance day from the last national protest drivers Isleworth, Hillingdon at against the cuts. Proposals have been made for and Hanwell have disrupted the West petitions, exhibitions and lobbies the Middlesex Hospital. But is specifically emphasised and demon- can be no better testi- of the willingness strations of the size of November mony 17 1976 will not be tolerated.

hospital workers to fight against Attempts within the NHS shop the cuts. of capitulating to the Instead stewards movement in London to gangsters of the AHA, they have link: the at Hounslow, work stepped up the fight the

EGA

and the Plaistow Hospitals have been thwarted by The smashing of the Hounslow is reminder all full time officials who have work-in workers of the lengths to which insisted that cac. treated as a "special case' the government and its agents will go to break resistence to cuts.

this attack

SACKING

Responsibility lies firmly with the Labour The left MPs have not been but government, the union slow to call for inquiries and the bureaucracy is equally to blame.

sacking of particular administra-

SMASHED

LOTS

Not surprisinglv. Roland SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 12 October 1977 Police re-arrest black youth Police harrassment of black youth in the Lewisham area of South East London escalatec last week with the again rearrest on October 5 of two of the 'Lewisham 21' along with two other young people One of them, Chris Foster, the Defence son Committee chairman, David Foster.

was so badly battered in the process that he later nad to be taken to hospital Intimidation has centred on the Foster family who been have particularly active in organising the defence of the 21:

ROUGHED UP

On September 17 Faith Foster and three of her children, including Chris, were roughed up and arrested policemen entered then home on the pretext of checking on the whereabouts of the defendant.

With the approach of the trial, latest examples of and with these the intention of the police to create an atmosphere of tension and fear, 21 for the Lewisham urgent. Trade union branches, Labou Parties and other labour movement in area should send nooles the delegates to Defence Committee and offer desperately needed financial aid. The Lewisham 21 Defence Com- mittee will meet at the Students Union Committee Room, Goldsmith College, Dixon Road Vew Cross on off Lewisham Way, Sunday October Friday and October Meetings begin 7.30pm. for dismantling the national health service, has rapidly agreed to an enquiry. These for hypocrites voted cut in Parliament. Now every when out, they express horror.

EXPOSE

The events at Hounslow have

OOHO LUEEL

build strike action against cuts and expose the The betrayals of the social democratic and Stalinist leaderships The chief danger is that the movement will again be diverted ' of Action', the focus "Dar of which will be the demand for the dismissal of one or two admin- istrators. Only national strike action can challenge and reverse the govern.

ment cuts and spearhead the fight protect social services against inflation through a rising scale of public expenditure compensate for rising costs