Socialist Press no. 98

MAY DAY MARCH

Speke: Confed leaders move in for

SOCIALIST

PRESS

Weekly paper of the Workers Socialist League * No. 98 * May 3, 1978 * 15p 2,000

POLICE

BREAK UP

The Callaghan government But even that operation was Day holiday chose the May dwarfed Saturday's huge as the time to strike the latest police mobilisation against lose blow at the democratic rights their worKers That Insisted right to march on May Day.

won by workers in centuries The 500 marchers who turned of bitter struggle. up Woodhouse Moor in Leeds On Saturday, Leeds police to defy the ban found themselves arrested Trades Council Secretary surrounded by 2,000 police, who Beryl Huffingley for organising had built a small fort on a raised the traditional May Day march in part or une moor, and brought in defiance of a police ban ambulances, horse The ban, supposedly directed boxes and Special Patrol Group against the National Front who thugs. had announced plans to demon- huge special survenance strate in the town a week earlier camera was pointed at the demon- had been imposed by the Chief strators, wolle a police nelicopter Constable, and lasts until May 7.

flew overhead. similar bans in march formed up and Tameside and in the London area instructions given were have proved, soon as the march

SUCH

measures co proceed. but provide protection the public highway nothing assistance the Trades Council Secretary bervi while depriving the workers move- was arrested along nuttingley

AUEW

Danny ment or me nant to demonstrate with freely and drive the fascists from McKenna. the streets. The order was immediate The Saturdav Trades Council prevIous civen Leeds, 1,000 police had cordoned bureaucrats for banners to be off an entire area of the city to lowered, and to disperse to protest meeting on the Town Hall oct a meeung or or Nationa: Front supporters from a hostile rowd of 600 anti-fascist demon- The decision TO march na endorsed at the been 3,000 jobs hang in the balance after last week's decision by union officials to concede to closure the of British Leyland's Triumph plant Speke at and seek improved redundancy payments. Workers at the plant, who redundancy reject voluntary were headed off from adopt- ing a clear policy pation to prevent the closure.

They now lace the task of mobilising immediately to auctioning off

SLUD

their jobs to Leyland manage- ment. Robinson After deliber- ately fostering confusion and demaralication * Trades Council meeting 100 votes to 3. It had been backed by Trades Councils, by Other TWU Regional Committee four

AUEW

District Committees and the Yorkshire Area NUM The police decision to enforce the ban on a demonstration over- Whelmingly backed by the labour mal meaning for pet of tre meaning workers movement of state-imposed bans.

The entire strategy of the Lib Lab government for continuing to cut workers "vine standares and worsen working conditions in the interests British capitalism hinges upon its ability to prevent independent mass mobilis- Ene ation of the working class.

Up to now this objective has been pursued with the aid of TUC bureaucrats who have sabotaged every independent struggle against aye, sc service cuts closures and redundancies But the emergence of massive working class hostility fascist National Front-which nas been reflected in a series of major counter-demonstrations in various areas, and in the nuge Anti Nazi League carnival-has new problem for workforce had failed to the for ground peaceful sell-out, union bureaucrats the at meeting adopted the alterna- tive strategy of tub-thumping 'left' speeches completely devoid of any policy capable of directing an all-out fight.

Crocodile tears The Leyland combine stewards committee chairman, Stalinist Derek Robinson, crocodile wept tears trom platform, "not a nut, proclaiming that bolt" would leave the HOLd plant if sackings took place.

But he steered well clear oi any call to occupy the plant and summon active support from Leyland nationally and the Liverpool leaders. Determined all costs head off a decisive confrontation between workers and the tascist!

which workers would gain confidence in independent action, Labour ministers have resorted to bans on demonstrations that now give the fascists and the police an ettective vetc any over movement march. now be virtually sutticient for the NF to counter-demonstration in order to that demon- year nas bean aunt wounder enforced by the full weight of the state repressive machinery.

Far from opposing these bans or explaining this state of affairs, the Anti-Nazi League continue to call and even state bans on the cam saler National Front. spokesman Peter Hain was one or tE TIrSt TO welCome the two-month ban on all marches in the London imposed at the time of the Ilford by election.

This suicidal policy could soon give reactionary government the pretext for an Robinson stayed shrewdly silent about his own role as chief advocate of the workers participation' set-up, whose report on productivity in Leyland 'fingered' Speke as one of the least productive plants. Nor did he dwell his on enthusiastic support for the Edwardes rationalisation plan that threatens jobs not only in Speke but throughout the combine, including Robinson's Diallu Longbridge. Diverted But by talking 'left' he succeeded in diverting Speke workers away irom an all-out struggle to break the reaction- ary participation system and Inside

IMG

Conference -no change Centre pages Uniformed and plain clothes police lead away Trades Council secretary Beryl Huffingley the state's repressive and strike breaking apparatus. Special picket-busting Patrol Group that savagely Grunwick attacked pickets last watchful eye of Labour ministers, leaders brought •smash Tiremen now thousands StrIKe: and police are brought out to contain or prevur." every demonstration by the lab-ur movement police The Leeds operation took place in the same week as a military crackdown by occupying PHOTO. Chris Davies. Report imperialist forces in West Belfast sealed Catholic ghetto areas in order to stop a demon stration by republican supporter and arrested leading members of Provisional Sinn Fein Britain and

BOTT

internationally Lib-Lab government stands for repressio!

and all-out defence of capitalism.

The warning is unmistakeable.

The whole movement mobilised to break this MUSt Di reactionary alliance between right wing Labour leaders Rees Lodidi rary that now nreaten the most fundamental democratic almost complete ban on workers right: democratic right march-or Those trade union bodies that top per attacks embodied in backed the Leeds march must be the Criminal Law Act, the "Pre called on to take the lead in this of vention AC and fight, action ano TakI the use or racial secrets laws defend the two victims of this Meanwhile Secretary latest round of repression.

Rees has presided over a massive the kill Now the damage must be closure, repaired at once. The Confed A trade union committee decision does not reflect the must immediately be elected views of the membership. force Leyland open Nor, apparently was their books and reveal their TGWU delegates long term plans for cuts in unanimous argued in favour of support- manning levels and sackings.

ing the mass meeting decision Such investigation an reject both redundancy would reveal that no section principle terms and the of will be immune from attack, closure. and expose the huge profits These representatives must being made by the privately be forced to lead the owned component firms out struggle in the plant to defeat of workers in the supposedly sell-out plan. Speke "nationalised" British stewards immediately Leyland, and spearhead the meeting fight for a policy of work convened explicitly reject all redundan.

sharing full and on pay cies of the private a policy of nationalisation allu

MOSCOW BACKING

After Gang of Four

- INIERNAIIONAL

The Editor of the Soviet Communist Party bent over daily Pravda, Victor Afanassiev attended the CP Spanish Congress where he discovered, policy that is followed".

among other things, that "Eurocommunism does not exist" Afanassiev, This discovery obviously made him feel a wnole lot party on Carrillo's when Nnce mittee he party officially threw the whole legacy of revolutionary Carrillo's socialism, Leninism,

OUT

the window, Afanassier could say so not tind it in him to So more than the mildest strongly rebuke. Spanish CP "Lenin is the e said. " Ve the revolution", he said. cratic party. cannot rejoice at the aban- "It doning of Leninism by the

PCE".

socialism. Unity has followed doesn't suggest worry, His he said, was "a debate on that principles may weaken the The party. editor strength Communist knows better Party depends on its unity. I haven't found very much non-revolutionary unity at this Congress. In fact, I have the impression that the discussion hasn't same name. finished." that was much

DUI

as rebuke as Afanassiev thought Spanish, The infamous clause Passed 968 votes against 248 with 40 'Leninism abstentions. our epoch". Communist Party of "The Spain (PCE) Marxist, heirs of those who, revolutionary and democratic which is inspired in 1917, vally. by the theories of social develop- head knew ment worked out world's first founders of scientific social- unon woen opened uo the ism, Marx and Engels and process of world revolution their methods of analysis.

which The contribution of Lenin, today. all parts of it that remain From that valid, like that of other great historic revolutionaries, incorpor- social democracy ated the Late on premise inal lt is no longer we consider Teng Hsiao-ping, in felt possible to convene them opening the national con- any sooner. ference of education on such measures as the reintro- 22 April stated "Educa- auction or quallying exams tion must be the at anu tellment straignt trom service of proletarian seconuary school to college, politics and have been introduced combine with productive work" Teng has emphasis on greater specialis- The conference was called ation and academic qualific- to "clarify" several problems allots. which have remained unresol- since › cu the A notewortny aspect 'Gang of Four". the conterence Not much information has absence of Wu Teh, mayor of is yet been released as to the Peking. discussion and decisions Many OI wall this conterence appeared recently We know however, wus handling of the events that it was one of a series on in Tien An Min square follow.

all sorts of subjects, such as ing the death of Chou En lai.

agriculture, industry and the Evidently the posters enjoy patronage from people in high places.

Ine turmol nas clearly =een it was not suen that The question

FOR CARRILLO

necessary. Aside from that he backwards to support Carrillo's position.

"After all", he said in an in Le Monde, "it's not words that count, but the Abandoned of course, quite aware that the Stalinist whose Central Com- sits abandoned Leninism as long ago as did but party, hypo- critically finds it impolite to Afanassiev very insisted that the had in his view become a social demo- continues in fact to define itself as a révolution- ary party which struggles for And the policy it up to now that it has stopped being revolutionary.

We shall see what happens" of Pravda than anyone that to define the Spanish CP anti-Leninist would completely of be to brand the Soviet CP and strategy the peaceful, all its satellite parties with the parliamentary to I0de socialism, even citing Stalin as Because, as he explained in detail, the Soviet CP, like the "Lenin", he lied, "did not rule out the peaceful road Lne possible to hold the view that heritage of the October revol- is the Marxism of ution and the socialisi revolutions which have freed We consider ourselves the their people, reject as the something foreign to Marxism difficult conditions of Russia the phenomenon of bureau- with Lenin at their cracy and Stalinism. how to lead the socialist revol- We, Spanish Communists, we find ourselves in thanks to self-criticism, have overcome Stalinism and are in derives the course of recovering ine our with allierences democratic and anti-bureau- vau essence or Marxism. we On the other hand, while will continue to go forward in own that direction. incentives and piecework major issue of lales It is widely known that May Day in China this year.

Since material fewards were endorsed at the recent National Science Conference "bonuses" are openly talked of. the placed Higher productivity Ambitious targets demand- ing much higher productivity of have also been set. was the Another is the probiem laxness in party discipline.

Many examples are given posters have of Party using critical of taoist priests and geomancers in runerals of relatives this is a It anpears that practice throughout the authors of the country and that a net- work or rengious traditions has been re-established of material fit The Fianna promised almost everybody. In practice Carrillo embracing veteran Stalinist La Passionaria at the conference install socialism If that struggle the wasn't applied Russia it the petty bourgeoisie. was because of the conditions refer, of the time. most notably the absence of parliament.

politics "The October revolution itself resulted in very rapture for deaths. It was imperialist Spanish which obliged the Italion "the people to take up arms "The way of arriving socialism never depends on than those of Franco" the peoples but on their Alanassiev was adversaries. It is never peoples anything else thankful for the who want war. CP's position "In book Eurocom- entry into NATO munism and the State, Though Carrillo quotes a letter from mention (nor, tactfully, Stalin to Largo Caballero else) ally ulit foreseeing the peacetul road continued was not the bases Spain, socialism. It Popular Front which opened used the NATO decision as a hostilities, but Franco..

basis "Lenin said that the main degree of weapon of the working class velweel was not violence but creative Moscow. work". Leninism, joined in self New conception Lenin as the "greatest revol- utionary of our epoch" "It is a new conception of classes with which we agree There even that because we are not sectarians, chance and the alsc beneve USSR's gift to him (a portrait positive to combine in this of Lenin) to the wall. Zionism exposed The origins and history of Zionism as a means of giving of Four and the Mao faction special privileges in the bureaucracy has now Jews in the Israeli state were become so complete that the the topic of debate at a 200 anti-Confucius campaign strong meeting in Leeds last well before the death of Mao week. is being strongly condemned.

Called by long now cannot be Solidarity before explicit attacks on the sponspored Maoist entire legacy council, the meeting heard Akiba al t member heard. anti-Zionist

ON TO

As Hua bourgeois Arah entrenches itself further surround Israel becomes steadily more socialist secular Palestine obvious that without the Gart Frankland the Trades development of a Trotskyist platform speaker, revolutionary leadership capable of leading a political warsonal cooac stressee that ac a socialist he saw the Palestinian revolution for the overthrow question of the bureaucracy, there can Middle East no these ine british working class problems and contradictions He called for delegate conference degenerated Chinese workers' state. on ralestine lo prepare 3== Keeping Ireland for capital Fail administration has presided over govern- ment in the Irish Republic a situation where most sections o have experienced was elected to power last year society substantial losses. on a populist platform which The strategy of the Fianna something to Fail has been based on further encouragement of international capital, already attracted Jack Lynch's Ireland by the extremely favour extracting conditions profit from workers wallausts can expecto dain : rate of profit which, at a comfort able 30% is no less than thret times tue mernationa average!

Eager sustain possible, expand this figure, the Lynch government has recognise the necessity to impose state wage control as part of a systematic assault on the working class in irelane This analysis has been confirmed by the ConstanT strikes for higher oressure trom wages and improved conditions Production at Fiat's plant has been stopped by a strike on wages began on March 16, and Which solidarity action has thoroughly disrupted distribution of vehicles.

Aer Lingus During the same period 1,200 clerical and supervisory staff Aer Lingus, Workers' Union of Ireland, have also been on strike for higher wages. Both in this dispute, and in the long running strike within the telecommunications mausty have readers • retuced support effective picketing which prevent management scab: from running a skeleton service members of the Ine b,000 Irish Post Office Engineering Union have now been Christians and i on striki .We for three months to secure revised terms for the introduction of new course, to the technology. present moment in Spanish It is this action in particular which has provoked sharp cries While not sharing Carrillo's from the bourgeoisie, incensed by the present daditional obstacle to ther monarchy, ability to extract surplus value Afanassier did recognise that from workers. actions of King Juan Carlos are more democratic Haven In turn the Lynch government more than has responded by pressing ahead with its plans to preserve the Irish against Spanish a haven of capitalist he ubie as super-exploitation he did not The Development Authority is to offer even greate

OUG

the CP's overseas investors, Incentives while the government is the support for US process setting a com Afanassiev mission on industrial Relations The aim of this commission considerable is to establish stricter stal reconciliation move- Concol labour Carrillo and ment-in particular by the 'ration.

alisation present trade union Once his party had thrown su acture ane the intro compulsory 'cooling Carrillo him- off' periods as strikes develop by praising along with orner tamsta similar labour war donernalla legislation internationally day more blatantly seemed each Carrillo might choost. une rianna astne face of mplaced agents of capitalism and the implacable enemies working class soUt Ireland, the occupation forces of British imperialism have continued their repression in thi north as their part of the struggle to keep Ireland safe for capitalist exploitation week Last saw a renewed crackdown on republican forces with thi arrest of members Provisiona mainiv of Sinn Fein-in early morning raids.

Copies of Republicar News to white the which had sinn rein paper dared to publish articles exposing conditions publicisin protests al the iviaze prison.

Then on Thursday British moved troops off the Palestinian Catholic areas of West Belfast in a Campaign and demonstrations in oIC

STOO

Trade: support of protesting Republicar Maze the „Jewish refusing to clean their cells.

criticise the reactionary Independent action that regimes Meanwhile, new talks between calling for British imperialism's minister fo a member Ireland repression wortherr Council and bourgeois government ano tne the South are scheduled for thi swearing week emphasise the necessity for inde merely a question pendent working our one Te Clas North and South of the border to withdrawal of British trade union torce the troops and held through the whole Irish

with Namibian traitors French CP leaders plagued by outbreak of discussion

— INTERNATIONAL-

Black workers in Namibia constructing a railway Vorster manoeuvres South African Prime tion in South African ground Minister Vorster 22,000);, the last West Africa existing South week accepted Western police force will continue to proposals for the trans- and order ition to 'independence' in during the transitional period Namibia. would obviously include the period oi the The proposals worked out elections; and the strategic by the USA, Britain, Canada, port of Walvis Bay would not Germany France and west fall within the scope of the consist of a ceasefire in the mnucoendence terms war of liberation: introduc- tion of a UN "peace-keeping" Issue force to replace all but 1.500 South African the troops; his statement Vorster In holding of an election under said that the issue of whether UN decide

SUDCI VISION

hoops would remain aller the which nationalist group elecuon. wolid ceciced should form a government.

by the Constituent Assembly Vorster's decision to (originally the plan called for accept was heavilv intluenced all such lorces lo go one week by three specific concessions' after polling). by the Big Five. Within Namibia the build up the Ceasefire of Turnhalle the The complete ceasetire underway. would be before any reduc- The DTA is an alliance of The leaders of the CP in nao enouan France continue, less and less Ellenstein's right-wing position, which is known to have convincingly, that to say some suboort the central they welcome the outbreak Committee, also includes calling of discussion within the party into theory and there that will no be dialectical materialism and raising the need for a political opening expulsions. towards christians. Leading intellectuals and long- standing members have, however had critical articles submitted to une barty oress retected What has followed is a wave of articles by party members in non- Wally auers. Sections of the bourgeois press have been only too glad to boost their sales among CP members • ne two most notorious seriec articles to date are those the historian Jean Ellenstein, Ticau Marxist or tre _centre Studies and of the well-known philosopher Louis Althusser, both or wnich nave been published by the capitalist Le newspaper Monde. Different in many respects the positions of these two Stalinist intellectuals is very different. Ellenstein wants the party to Marchais go amiary lurner down ine road to explicit retormism. He that, like One leading member. close to the Spanish CP French party Einsteins politics has in protest from his post as editor SnouTa cease describing itseit as "Leninist" a CP inurnal is not, he says, that we have participants the had much public discussion have said that Congress lat which the dictator- ancisten aoesnico lar enouon proletariat In particular they have argued Wds white conservatives and reactionary tribal chiefs. Its former member of the local is Dirk Mudge, Claim de ruling South branch of the African Nationalist Party.

One step which the DTA has taken take over 1s to ownership anc Contol a German million- (through the Windhoek Advertiser and the Allgemeine Zeitung papers critical of the DTA Another step taken against

SWAPO

liberation Ine fighters has been the intro- duction of emergency powers lollowing the assination a ten

DTA

leader ago weeks Clemmens Kapuuo. Arrested Under the mcreased many of SWAPO's powers, leaders have been arrested Lucy Hamutenya, one of the last remaining to do with socialism and is com- pletely anti-socialist. This course extremely reactionary position as it makes no mention ot the con LaST •etween oureaucratic role of the Soviet Union and its socialised property relations dru oves nor can tor a oetence ortne property relations imperialism. Apparently •oposite from Ellenstein Dolitical 0o f .Althusser who stands presents himself "Leninist" and Deleves the party snould return "revolutionary" positions.

Alliance But wildlever may between olitical ditterences these long-standing Stalinists, they drenow etectiver alliance against the party leader- ship; ev are plaving down the political differences and launching an obviously coordinated attack the regime OT The warTy. On this Althusser pulls least punches. He attacks in detail the Marchais vvdy

WHICH

leadership inexplicably reverses its political positions by 180 degrees without explanation. Ine way "parachutes" completely which t new slogans into party with slightest dIsCussIon oreparation attacks some the slogans directiv. such ine rich pay "The working class including Vorster SWAPO Executive members who is still free said on April that since 4 April, 31 members had been detained.

She reported threats assassinate a SWAPO leader as müm wage, doesn't spontaneously recognise itselt as suffering from is a nineteenth poverty which of philanthony anth charity: one philanthropy and charity. one conquests of the workers' OT Tne movement has been to lead the workers to think of themselve: as exploited as door

OUT

productive workers". Althusser s main attack. now ever, is not political but organi.

He describes the party sational. macnine cominate control and manipulate the militants. It is clear that the pressure of opposition within the party goes much deeper than few individualistic intellectuals altu comes also trom wide sections o1 the party's base, disillusioned after the election defeat in March.

in ine vour oraanisation some areas, members have been refusing to sell the paper because what "total inev tne poverty" of its contents The Marchais leadership would considerablt difficulties: by refusing to permit the debate to take place inside the it finds itself with a full scale public debate between party members taking place outside the all or ts control. Statement Though he denies that the rot nas spread from the intellectuals Marchais was constrained to pub- fish an angry five page statement in te daily l Humanito la..

Rini Euro- union of the right It was a week "international capitalist ism". Margaret Thatche went off to a rally i which she ha Salzburg, helped to organise, European right-win reprisal for Kapuuo's parties. killing. Her fellow Tories include.

SWAPO's response to the the Christian Demo proposals has been to restate crats and Strauss' CSU fron the position that guerrilla war West Germany, Spair only way -but in Union Francoist of statement to this effect, Democratic Centre led President Sam Nujoma Adolfo Suarez stopped short of absolute French Gaullists, rejection. Portuguese Democratic Socia This warning clear Centre Party (now Namibian sign workers coalition with the Socialis and peasants, increasing Party) and assorted pressure is applied to SWAPÕ wingers the trom leaders to accept the terms of resI europe liese proposals It is essential that liber- fighters continue ation armed struggle strategy based on the independent mobilis- ation of the masses Central this mobilis- ation the demand 1S for a constituent assembly-a demand which must be tied the dissolution the caste namer army, adminis civulan tration and the courts Thatcher The Italian Christian Democrats-no doubt out 0: diplomatic deference to the CP which keeps their government minority office-declined the invitation unanimously" by the 121 saying that the whole thing the Centra seemed to them 'much too Committee, said that the party right wing'! would not 'let itself be torn For others, however, not apart vague petty Thatcher is right wing bourgeois anarchism" CyCl Marchais would dearly like to enough. dismiss all his opponents in this These were Giorgio way-and intellectuals like Ellen.

Almirante, leader stein certainly help him to do so fascist Italian Social Move but there is no doubt that recen Pinar ment (Mol) blas deep event. nave Spain's hard-line Francoist questioning of the CP's strategy within the working class base of New Force (Fuerza Nueval and Pascal Gauchon leade: te pry wen does not nave to the columns of Le of the French group "Part! access Monde of New Forces" It is this which gave Marchais These three fascist group: most cause tor alarm meeting in Rome on April 20 Sections of this base could set up a permanent entente now won to a principled appealing to the "forces c: revolutionary ioesencent. sanity' political line. the Europea Whether this continent to join them. happens depends upon how those who call • Whatever be it= Indy themselves Trotskyist in France differences between these intervene reldErof two right wing alliances the: discussion the Stalinist leadership are similarly explicit about wants to strangle at birth their view of the enemy. For Thatcher "Marxism" whether this goes

- IN BRIEF

by that name or whether it : lurking Socia.s: The Frolinat National Parties. Liberation Front) has called for a Almirante general strike and demonstrations and in N'Djamena the capital of Chad gang it is "Eurocommunism to protest against the fresh arrival Again this has of imperialist forces. guises and covers. Accordire The French government- to Blas Pinar "the gerldlism s watchtur dolicemar immediate enem! in west Africa- has sent further behind which communism 'advisers' and now bombers to aid the hides, is the policy of insti.

of mistar covernment

Last the United week States government announced that it intends over the next six months to sell 1.8 million of gold from its ounces reserves. days nree order discourage gold unveiled a plan smuggling, India (estimated at 2.2 million ounces) over the same period.

COTT

moves Tine predictable effect sharply cutting the price or gold on the world market. That short-term effect, Carter no OT m sortance compared with what these about the reveal developments present crisis or the worla monter ary sys objective of US government is twofold First, the gold cales are fall in the attempt to of the dollar international value which has been going on since last ycar. This decline has been to some extent, intended by the Carter

NUCLEAR

INDUSTRY

NEEDS

YOU!

PHOTO: Mark Husher

BUT WHAT FOR?

10,000 people were claimed by the organisers of demonstration which the Trafalgar marched into Square on Saturday last, 29 April. was certainly the largest demonstration against the nuclear industrv since the CND and Com crowd had much same character as in that period with sprinkling of organic ecologists, tood, vegetarians and so forth Abse, Soeakers included Leo for wing Labour MP MP Davia rontvoool. Liberal Penhalligan and John Carrol, Vice President of the Irish Transport and General Workers Union.

Aboarentv our oroace in uns Yorkshire miners' Scargill, Arthur interest in opposition to nuclear being against it simply on energy grounas or numanity Gold scorns Carter's orders administration since it was part of This enabled the US to impose help US capitalists on the rest of the capitalist world an ettort to in which all compete in word markets adainst a monetary system competition from other capitalist were TIAd gold currencies intermediary of the countries, especially Japan.

through the now this devaluation has

BUT

American doldl value wa. gone further than Carter wants fixed in terms or gold at tne rate ince it has begun (through raising of 1 ounce-$35. imported materials) to push up industrial costs and it Gold stocks has had anything an so As long as the US maintained adverse eftect on the Us trade balance. its gold stocks the dollar could Even the world though latest dominant retuall currency and the special place of monty trade oalance snowee dn US imperialism could continue.

$1 billion long run the domin- Japan surpassed But in the States proposed sales of aold depended upon its higher level of The (which still have to be approved labour productivity. not enough by that to be eroded in calvis Themse ves to staonise ine dollar The "vous ano vous ana as t At today's prices they will be US at the same time maintained worth less than 2% of the annual and even increased its expenditure vo trade dericit. activities around the world, so the the gold Indirect reserve bled and the dollar ava was pusned trom its pedestal.

decline of the dollar will be The US could no longer main- tain the fixed price of the dollar largely indirect. will in terms or gold nor its fever in whether or not the private specu- relation to other currencies hold of hundreds Thus August the Jalous Wild Nixon millions or solars deleve that tet jold sales are a signal of Carter's link with gold was severed to halt any further gold etermination began and the price 01 Tan i tue coldr •ravine ascent waica

LOOK I

$200 ounce by the end The carter aoministration also goid have 1974. says help purpose-to That price increase demonetise •ola and convert l renrecente• in oar ine restoration into commodity like any of the price of gold to somewhere other". its true value after the years near US Federal end. the intiation Whic oniV Ine Reserve (the gold price remained fixed CAntral bank, nas hinted that it is prepared if neces Reaction sary tue une American gold stock. This is a radical change from But simultaneously the price to the reaction World War Il rice retiented Tne period when the United States had a near the world's breakdown in the world monetary monetary gold reserves. No nukes' bypass working class action

VWEN

WINDSCALE

NOW!

linked to the struggle to break the Windscale development itself.

off pro-capitalist Lib-Lab coalition natne inan soundine this manner Scargill shovid inat olaces ine interests or oromit issuing a call to the trade union above the interests of the health and safety of the working class.

movement as a whole to mobilise against the potentially lethal In the predictable absence of a developments planned political lead from Scargill, those the who Windscale-and to remove the vast recognise body of TUC collaborators who dangers OT nuclear reprocessinu have their must take up this fight within the given tacit open trade union support to me seneme labour And the fight needs to be

YOUTH MEETING

The Economic Crisis and the Way Forward for Youth SUNDAY 7 MAY at 2.00 p.m.

Lecture Room 2 Digbeth Civic Hall

BIRMINGHAM

Credentials (20p) are available to WSL members and dunnortard from. WS! 31 Dartmouth Park Hill Iondon Sper fine ounce London Price 150г 100- 50 1968 '69 '70 20 000 Swise france per kilo Zurich Price 10 1976 of Holders currencies and other naper monev assets fled to the haven of gold as the ultimate store of value The fact that the latest round instability not only capitalist speculators doing this central banks shows how Dul disc ment to demonetise gold. It is the relative weakness of US imperialism which makes tu objective for US desirable capital. the the Ame con gold reserves, hopes its domin. can restore monelary systeril through esoeciall influence the International Monetary whose SDR's (Special Rights) Drawing are intended in term the become a new world paper money to replace gold. As we go to press the editors of two magazines —Peace News and The due Leveller are to in court on appear contempt charges. They are being prosecuted by Lib-Lab Attorney General Sam Silkin for the heinous of revealing-from "crime published sources and infor- mation given in open court- the identity of "Colonol B" 'expert' witness the an Aubrey/Berry/Campbell official secrets trial. Contempt Both and ten papers, charged workers, are being with contempt of court. And the National Union of The Jornalists' Journalist also stands to face punitive fines and costs for publicly putting two and two together, and pointing out actual Colonel B's that identity Colonel is that of H.A. Johnstone. Behind the crackdown on these and the

ABC

itsele lies the case itself, overall attack on democratic rights being carried through by the Lib-Lab Government. Under attack The right to march, the right to picket, and now the together right publicly available material in investigative journalism have all come under Callaghan bids to strengthen the police-military forces of the capitalist state in readi- confronta- ness for further tions with the working class The Official Secrets Act- which in the ABC case could mean sentences of fourteen years each for two journalists and ex-soldier John Berry-

SOCIALIST PRESS.

'78 '72 '73 '74 '75 "76 '77 '71 1977 1978 Comparison of the London price of gold with that of Zurich shows that the fluctuations are due to variations in the value of currency more than changes in demand for gold But the US is afraid of its own remove it from the world monet solution since fears that The wored to me to race ceas system but also the fact that would be intiationary. And most other capitalist | Africa and, more signif are boutn countries are showing themselves cantert does or produce gold USSh-while The future of gold, therefore, ment of gold The total quantity of gold in remains uncertain however not some mystical monetary reserves is now about the temperature thermometer of ottlion ounces or which tne us holding is only about 14%.

capitalism sometime. depicted. But it does reflect the devel- Revalued opment movemen

IMF

capitalist crisis-in particular the And under the new weakness of US relative April regulations introcuced in this gold can now be revalued at catalisit and its current market price instead o ine crisis is giving airies to which is giving rise at the "phantom official price o One thing is certain, therefore: SinCi crisis of 1971 (and which the US gold will continue to oostinatel government still uses). refuse to obey the orders of the that its relatively Carter administration become commodity like other". persuaded

SILKIN GAG BID

ON PRESS

AUBREY BERRY

CAMPBELL

DEFENCE

COMMITTEE

Aubrey-Berry-Campbell march in February of this year.

strike repeal and replace prepare action wiin a 'freedom of information' act.

defend Aubrey, Berry and Campbell the current court But it is clear that unless and Labour cases will herald a new trade unionists era Party activists step up the of intensitied state

oust racist Bidwell

LABOUR

PARTY

ORDER IN

THE FAMILY

'I've never seen the differ- ence between the community and the police", declared Prime Minister Callaghan at a West London rally last Wed- nesday. "More police is only part of he answer", went on, boast- the £250 "law and order brought about by the Lib-Lab soalition. Proper sense of values" in family and home essential to happy society continued Callaghan-making that an escalation of state sear eression is linked in government king with an intensification of comestic oppression romen, and male workers Callaghan o thin the confines of the family the coalition On "law ano order' as on not called to speak, his reaction- every other Callaghan cuestion ary shadow strugyled to find some difference speakers, beiween pro-capitalist policies cach studiousiv Lib-Lab government and the of racialism. so icies of the Tories. But he only With leaders like these it is succeeded emphasising InE little that essential similarities. wonder less and less inclined to turn out the platform

HISO

to vote advocates of managing elections cac talism Molloy, MP TOr and North; Galadnan Syd Bidwell, supporters must be driven out and Tribunite MP; Russeli

• 5C GIST

a principled MP and a cluster of right socialIst with ConTict lu3 Prospective candidates, each right wing hom defended the record of the Labour Party.

PRESS GANG

Forces' favourites The campaign for forces pay which has breakers. dominated the The Sun in pages of stressed that the fact that the the Tory press for the ast several sharpest the gramme? through helping to ble illustration ctical divisions ruling class. (which, of course, would have savage onslaught rights, Wart mores of the struggles he out over Phase ::haps more the Structies roken out) all raise trusted with the security of the minds of the the state, and should .: 35 lo whether the open confrontation working might servicemen who are providing comfort. or higher pay for las been based on the civil servants and military eaks Soviet ed "! troops in "The biggest blow we could strike against racialism would be to get rid of Syd Bidwell as MP who has done so much to make racialism respectable". This was the uncompro- mising conclusion of one of the platform speeches at public Labour Party meeting last week in Syd Bidwell's constituency of Southall.

Unanimous And this conclusion met with the virtually unanimous support of a meeting, largely of Southall Labour Party members, had been which called by two Southall wards.

The meeting proceeded even in the face of attempts Coventry Trades Council decided last week that William Wilson (Labour MP for Coventry SE) should be barred from the platform of their May Day meeting. Wilson, member government. Tribune Group was, with Bidwell Though Bidwell was prudently and three other Labourites signatory of the Commons Select Report Race Cas! over Ine committee Relations which recommended a whom avoided the question pass controlling raw system not immigrants, and a racialist quota system for Indian immigrants.

workers are The Trades Council had invited speakers from South Labour in local and by- African liberation orcanisatior from Spain and tr and rain miner a real as well as local his gang isations. leadership considered that Wilson's the existing presence would be an insult to the leaders constructed in other speakers. It has recommended branches every reason to be grateful to those who had risked their particular, careers to ensure that those who went knew what they were talking about. With a somnolent Defence yay Minister and a Cabinet which

SONI

think of the Armed Forces as

WEIC

regard for professions such as dangerously at risk. assess- Lcil know it and the Government-and necessar push the Lib-Lab Coalition to WeIC however. Southall bid to to sabotage it by what one called the "racist clique" which dominate the Southall party. I challs Southall's notorious Bidwell, ot course, has been for years of the Labour loudest of left-talking Labour MPs, boasting even when him "Trotskyist

SUTES

leadership past" themselves Signatory meeting by Doubtful as that may be Labour Party there denying his It would, racialist present as a signatory to the racist proposals of the time and be recent Commons Select Com- the National Front. mittee on Immigration. No It is that which has been the last straw for many lo arag up Labour Party members in Bidwell's constituency. But it is by no means the first sign of capitulation to racism. and Liberals!

MAYDAY BAR

The Labour the to consider whether they should meeting support Wilson continuing as an Bidwell racists and other Coventry Labour an important step. MPs-Park Robinson -have ane The fake from meeting witndrawn the with sympathy Wilson, but Fourth, Audrey Wise, already hac now become plain engagement anoter Wa therefore able to avoid a decision.

see. More support for Wilson came from the Stalinists rid of him Coventry Communist Party.

Secretary Tony McNally told movement. the Morning Star: 'We deplore the sharpness of the attack on him To suggest he should resign Bidwell feel, is fa too drastic in the light of his other cronies can be many positive

LETTER:

Revolutionaries in elections Comrade Editor, As Labour a member of the potch of 'revolutionary' Labour Party and a supporter mongering reformist practice like to briefly take up two avoidance posed by the coalitionist betrayals of the Labour leaders. In this situation class does not see alternative. Labour has the advantage mentioned being movement. workers Labour greater importance working class than for ersatz 'substitutes' Surely ary candidates against the Labour question Party at this stage of the class than the tactical "advisability' of standing against Labour at this time? It is a question gramme and leadership necessary expose and ditch traitors like central political the 'left' who cover up for them.

autoleuous Secondly, add something wish to Correct programme coverage of the local elections and Plant's Newham. centrist groups were Plant's fellow candidate capable of fighting elections on a Massey is standing on the same programme-which, a different kettle of fish.

Press readers will know, candidate standing on a principled breaking coalition, fight programme in the Newham local Labour wing elections-pointed out in Mont SP 96 Page S Bidwell, it was stated by several members at the meet- member of colour- bar Labour Club from which Party has officially dissociated itself.

Bidwell and the local party had scandalously against the calling of an anti-racist public the Southall they said, 'damage the party' at election broken up by argument, it seems, was too bare or opportunist Alternative As an alternative they have proposed a joint meeting on race relations with the Tories fact that members of Party Bidwell were prepared under this kind of assault to go ahead with their resist their removal by the (boycotted by unscrupulous

SHOST

means. and the local Labour That is why those Labour compromisers) is Party members in Southall who have shown themselves nature prepared to Bidwell's 'left' talk, apparent put should be principled fight for some time in Southall, has given every possible support.

for all to As a first move resolutions demanding the These first moves to get immediate removal from office of all the deserve five

MPS

support of the whole labour who signed the Select Committee report could passed by constituency Labour Party Racist cronies GMC's and sent the to Southall Party. and his racist expected to standing against Lambeth is a hotch- phrase- stunt politics and studious John Plant-standing on a central tasks principled programme dates had played a role in the the working ight against Prentice any serious nis is truv-but on. • Plant has consistent record principled struggle. party the Massey's political evolution is The lessons of considerable interest, however for he began o we ЛОНО detender o for the Prentice protest votes Shaken by the exposure of the right-wing conspiracy-backed by more sinister Tinancia sources-to explain up the Newham Smash labou movement, he the WITh right subsequently wint and resolutions supported for Tute of the pro expulshe Labour Party. expulsion of right wingers He readily signed the branch manifesto and stands pledged to the policies contained in it.

something to the that all this yem to provides a small but significant example of the shifts that can take place camadel in the labour move. ment in the course of a hard Ray struggle. The main question, naturally Socialist remains the need for the labour calls for movement aire trade union the watch all leaders pledge against the themselves policies socialist and puts mobilise to make aria • Sure thav

IMG CONFERENCE

TENDEN

ocialist Press views of Mandel in a polite four-day ference the leadership the International Group, Exist British tion of the 'United retariat of the Fourth succeeded national rallying 75% of the mbership behind their acy of opportunist ¡tulation to the trists of the British ialist Workers Party. Iis consolidation of the Alan Jones ership under sarified the factional

IMG,

within the the variegated oppos- which up sprang 1972 and 1974 have dissolved into the faction. has been facilitated *: Jership to opposition particular the :: electoral intervention.

Opposition Г.=. the pre-conference D.= opened Lucile only one tendency the Opposition"- programmatic stance have similarities the WSL. did not stay the the end of the of the supporters Socialist Workers already closed =e tendency, and in mierence discussion of their Unc :::ers-Alan Harris. Strawson his he pridens

UTAMESIDE CE

ÚNITED REVOLUTON

FRONT

(TENDENCY

S.W. P.

WORKERS

LEAGUE.

"BUSINESS AS

USUAL' AFTER

USFI speakers hit only sour notes Strawson the For this reason the central collerence tendency was the focus for thrust of the IMG's recent opposition to the leadership. work has been the building of The

SWP

(USA)

Socialist Unity as part of a blocked drive for 'unified supportis WIll Strawson and, after certain revolutionary organisation' to trom Harris amenument embrace these groups. were accepted, voted for the centred This has on an Strawson resolution orientation the towards "Trotskyist The Uppos- British Socialist Workers ition' in an extremely weak Party position que lo lne lact inal they had come to the confer- Regroupment ence with no resolution for On 6 October last year voting eventually announced the closure of their tendency Socialist Challenge printed the article on sunday evening ana calcu *Ou Commor their Ground' as the proposed basis on supporters to join the Strawson tendency. for regroupment. The

IMG

This document systematic- majority however remain firmly ally adapts to the forces the Leading SWP member Novack attached IMG would like to see in its to the bankrupt "New 'fuse' with these layers.

notion of the Mass unified revolutionary organ- Vanguard" For the Pabloites isation -the SWP. Big Flame, in the been handed down from Michel late 1950s and the 1960s the Workers League, etc 'new mass vanguard' shifted Pablo to current USFI leader All of them are hostile to ground and became the petty Ernest Mandel, and the Transitional ¡ rotskvist Mandel to his protege Jones.

bourgeois nationalist forces in Programme-both its the colonial world engaged in principles and its method.

guerrilla struggles 'Our against Ground' commor Concept imperialism and dictatorship.

therefore, aroids spelling out By the late 1960s this transitional demands the " new mass vanguard" "vanguard had been political characterisation broad, broadened to include radical-

CONCEDE

en sales degenerated and ready-made leftward moking anti-war deformed iscu workers states, layer as the essential milieu and movements avoids clear demand for for revolutionary work struggles in the wake of the their defence against imperial- For Pablo the 1968 events in France. Since early ism and even aroids any 1950s this layer was suppos- then the label has been of the rourth inter. edly to be found in the mass applied to strikers in various national! Communist Parties of Europe sectors. and he proposed liquidating 1978 the IMG Now in Defence the Trotskyist movement into majority has decided that the entry" work into the "vanguard' Al the conference the 1s located in and Stalinist parties in leadership stood in defence of dron tell groups its the SWP onentanon lo and its policy of building a "class struggle left wing" the trade unions. his In introductory remarks the Saturday session Alan Jones was quite frank about the novel nature of the Socialist Unity orien- blithely tation and aside the formally correct attitudes *orthodox' the

COT

SWP (USA)

to the Labour Party as "revisionist" Summing up Summing up the debate on Sunday Tariq Ali outlined. the which hope lies behind the Socialist Unity project. "It's not just us and the

SWP.

unify twe we car build an organisation of 20,000-30,000 members. unified organisation would draw numbers of Caree independent workers". For those IMG members who were worned about the lack of fight taken up against

SWP

claimed that "We've fought them programme However the only example he could give was on the united front-which

IMG

leadership has always lowest common denominator' co-operation an and the abandonment of the struggle Iot leadership. sort of forces which the

IMG

is attracting in its regroupment campaign are typified by Workers League. Hostility The speaker from the International Socialist Alliance, Workers League member, spelled out the hostility there the Transitional Programme. "We are not against trans- itional politics as such, but we think the demands have to flow from the struggle", he said This opportunist approach has nothing in common with the struggle by Trotskyists to PHOTO: John Sturrock. Repo The pr! Con'erince apply the transitional in a living programme way and raise those engaged in the struggle to the political level ot programme. Such a struggle is carried out only by the Workers Socialist League.

IMG

The leadership promised a campaign around the sliding scale of wages over the next period The WSL will continue to co-operate on this issue witt any forces which take up the fight. But more than a propa- ganda campaign for a demand is needed. Ä clear understand- ing of a specific line of march required for the working class to combat the particular way in which the bureaucracy is manoeuvring. Phase 2 In last year's battle to end control under Phase 2, wage for only the WSL instance, had a clear understanding of need oppose 'unity' manoeuvres Communist Party While the IMG majority claim to understand this, they caught WC10 by every CP trick. In partic- ular, IMG vacillation over the April 1977 Leyland Stewards conference-which worked for and supported by sabotage the to struggle against Phase 2-gave credibility to the conference and indicated the weakness of the IMG's analysis But at the IMG conference nobody even qucononca the way in which the leader- ship impressionistically con- solely on the centrated protest campaign against the cuts (without spelling out a clear for strike action) case while the WSL was correctly arguing the need for prepar- against wage control and continually drawing out the workers beginning, action against it. Rumbling There however, well some rumblings against the Tiffin

SUETALISI PRESS, Heinesia, 3 Mar, 1978

COME ON IN!

THE WATER'S FINE

USFI

M.PABLO

RISE & DECLINE

STUDENT VANGUARD

OF STALINISM

leadership's 'sectarian' the the attitude to the Campaign for conference, dominant tions of the which snide remarks about the WSL as 'programme fetishists' that were heard in the trade union debate at the conference, IMG point on carefully the fact that it was the WSL which prepared the fight for the sliding scale of wages at the TGWU confer- ence-not the IMG "new mass Unity orientation favour of on unions.

ICL,

LSA

and and of Socialist redirection Challenge "popular Speakers the oppos- and a few make Pablo And it the IMG's to non-

OLEV

voted policy West Indian but also Another union work work' around key The the election! emphasis on speaker pointed out For the IMG's role oi ine around Grunwicks been Mas. show A speaker Within *proletarian been on policies Lau orientation' opposition struggle was clearly IMG's and Lne unuerstood the IMG. lacked any of as Despite ' Jack SOMe the strike formally and could poncies

MUCO

win the struggle. members as When Scarman under- the IMG, As one of of content of the paper, the avoluance Centa revolute are leadership, own was being nis ment of the described. was running perspective workers struggles.

TIM

QUICKSAND.

Mandel urges "unity"

BEES

the very of the French Rouge (paner

LCR) |

and

(SWP/

This for the of the the 'alternative' In his the to Shepherd a recent decision by American majority comrades Lest thinks that this heralds line, change the would not change

SWP

carried within working rather than among petty- tion of bloc. After making many resolution

SIX

key Each these are the but the and Hovelicil. of from drawal

ITOODS

Ireland, unemploy- ment, for defence of tot Stales. democracy the labour movement. seen whether - an all- will

LICS OT

or turr perhaps 1n At the last

IMG

conference "Trotskyist

WSL

gence What have seen in and in t short document Trotskyist Opposition matic of this Trotskyist no real Trotskyist were tendency the posing _ot the vanguard programme numbers of

IMG

members were think begin the tencerci fight the in be seen from

USFI),

and from the the the class and for opening up revolution of the main achieving the stressed that programme central to by the surprisingly stressed Centasi 'hard, with other gramme first four itional Programme), situation change the On the Fourth Inter- national, argued that Fourth "belonging the absolute approach to regroupment. of The Alan Jones to intervention (which sharp Outside conference disgrace"-

IMG

the varuck dry leadership not been be annoyed. transitional programme for with the British

SWP.

ment Following objections to the

USFI

form to that the speech had the Inter- been agreed national leadership have to It is quite Page conference. Bolshevik Party in order :3 their 'regroupmen: may argue there has policy In rounding off this report we should refer to the areas

SWP.

of trade the IMG claims some success

- NUT

CPSA

NALGO

COHSE and CLASH. 'Our Ground' What can be said is that

IMG

the obviously beginning to sink some roots

USFI

and

LCR

regard one or two white collar Socialist as beer centrIst nave With the mounting crisis circulating of British capitalism, many meetings by the of the British organisations on the left have the potential for growth. The key question remains on what basis is this growth taking place? would a vitorous

USFI

the .other

CORLESES

the the Pabloite "fight for the for wdy within

IMG

OUI

long-held that wth

USFI

whose has consisted the revising most basic movement can resolve the political within the to stand

IMG

ipse of oppositions point the indicates there is no ided that Transitional in the atur ight become a for the and princ Pro- gramme. Those are turning t be wish these the SWP/USA taken in questions the but serious 1 of only organis- ing to know for stands Party and the hod falsify the une 'Star': Let it bleed! Socialist Challenge The and calls for national their 'Open Forum' of 24 April solidarity' was devoted to an article by reflecting Tariq Ali entitled 'A Plan to Save the Morning Star'. Reporting the difficulties Stalinism in crisis has provided for the Morning Star, us to defend i of his offering Ali spends much walline about the seroack to int working class" which he feels the read it regular coverage collapse of the Star would of industrial represent and their for "ur members are taceo wit' the possibility that they might solidarity. have publication of a aally. Inis would leave us withou a sinre daily reis always er.

Challenge) for method and there always principie. Programme rews/ine out retiecis The bizarre politics of the Workers can hav only Revolutiona in ette one the attitude so in ettect tne deatr nostility. the of Star would leave us The without a paper in which one car occasionally reao the VIews shop stewards engaged in struggles policies were severe crisis of the workers movement on they avoid the just deserts of theil treacnery This attitude to the take a themselves paper, then the political crisis would soar Circulation Circulation Co Maper almos left the would almost certainly rise-and the possibilities of fighting for a genuine revol.

utionary paper would be greatly mcreased If the Morning Star is in crisis then the best thing Trotskyists can do is to help that crisis along In the now famous words of Ali

==::

POPES AND

PLOUGHBOYS

Adam Westoby looks at the social conditions behind a historic ideological split The next three issues of Socialist Press will feature a series of articles on the English Revolution of 1640 which, in the most violent and dramatic way brought the ostensibly 'peaceful' and 'democratic' capitalist class to power. This article sketches some of the mat- erial and ideological developments that preceded that Revolution. 'Ambition is a weed of quick and early vegeta- tion in the vineyards of Christ'-thus wrote Edward Gibbon , the monumental obituarist of the Catholic Church's claims to either virtue or divine authority. April of this year marks the six hundredth anniversary 'Great Schism (between the of papacies Rome and Avignon) in that much and scandalously divided organisation. The cardinals contenalng divided were by not shred of moral or theologi- principle, by numerous contlicting «m DILOIS And celebrate their reunification thirty seven years later, they burnt at the stake one of the most principled and popular of reformers, John Hus Prague. First translation 1378 also was (though more approximately) the :me when the first transia- ion of the whole Bibie into * popular tongue-English- megan widely pe disseminated. The burning of John Hus and the scattering of his ashes In that year came the first attempt to bring to trial for women who could neither had thickly overlaid the scrip- heresy the scholar of Oxford tures which they were Icdu wille, on University who promoted the understood not a word of supposedly based. John Wycliffe- ansiauon Certain gospel teachings- LalA. The answer lies as much in one ol tamner tew men ever as of Matthew to have extracted revolution- economics as in theology.

19 :xxiv ideas from the Latin al l the previous two nunarea and "Ihroeasierto acamel to quarter of Cowley. more years medieval society through the It was no acident that all had experienced a process of needle than for a rich man to these cincided. creeping disintegration. y calls enter into ,kingdom …the Rather the opposite, as the God"-had, evidently, to be actions of the Church leaders Unwieldy taught the populace testted. and with The laborious, caulously, many The same Council of Con- unwieldy qualifications. apparatus of production and stance (near Zurich) which in splendid MuCA 1415 Hus exploitation found executed and nOrO Church art of the late Middle and more difficult to extract reassembled behind a single, Ages had its the a sutficient surplus from the compromise Pope. also tound need to provide in tandem #'ycliffe, the populariser each multtude oi peasants. with the sermons, a suitably the Bible and Hus's inspirer, tied to their petty plot.

embellished edited an0 guilty of no less than two And the Church, as both of the Bible stories version the biggest exploiter and the hundred and sixty heretical to an illiterate congregation.

assertions! chiet justifier of exploitation, was at the centre of the crisis.

Ordered Erupted Orthodox Christian The doctrine was by this time a assem bled prelates And conversely, the accordingly ordered (Wycliffe complex contradictory and movements of numerous delicate construction. which having died ot natural causes and rebellion than thirty years The work of generations more trom e noter alevenu ¿efore) that his bones be dug of disputatious theologians, it century onwaras tended lo un and burned. had only the fragile find their h ite spokesmen and vile corpse, said a with 'His their leading ideas in that tiny Contaunl hued. preached by the Jewish sigot witnessed the minority of churchmen who, siène, "they consigned to hell, natonalist Jesus of Nazareth being able to read the scrip- and his first followers, who and the river absorbed his Latin, took them

LULCS

literally and had composed the gospel used them in asics. narratives. But not his memorv. And chucism or ine nuren as ll :: is instructive to ask why, actually existed Egalitarianism Such intellectuals were ! o. as ine ‹ nuren was ișitting apart, it was such an hut they tew. WCnU :ammatory matter to make Christianity had shed its among the most learned and Bible accessibie to that egalitaria nism. Church of their age and cent-Seg Wycliffe all their proportion to numbers. To the twin dangers of dissent and organised resis- the medieval Church lance replied with a two-pronged against arTves 'heresy', and force of armai In 1155 Arnold of Brescia Rome. Basing was burnt in himself on the gospels, he had preached to considerable crowds, that priests were not necessary to confession, and that clergv who accumulated wealth would never achieve salvation The most energetic of the crusades of the thirteenth the cantury organised the against 'Albigenses' sollawes France, the of near ToWn Albi. Justification They taught, also finding their justification in scripture, that salvation could be had without the expensive minis- trations of the clergy, but by sim ple act of repentance before death. Faith and prosperity alike summoned the Church wipe out such a heresy and (the of heretics property being torteit) there was no shortage of loyal recruits Church for its part determined on results, was regardless of cost. When the crusaders were enter e Beziers, where the Albigenses powerful, they asked how they should tell heretics the faithful TrOM general slaughter. 'Kill them all' replied the representative of the Pope (the misnamed Innocent III).

'God will recognise his own' It was in this carnage that Simon de Montfort, the god- father of English parliamen- baptised calisill reputation. Liquidation The final liquidation of the trench heretical sects was entrusted to an arm of the Church bureaucracy specially created to root out heresy: the 'Inquisition'. By the fourteenth century, Western therefore, the Church was an organisation seasoned in both high politics and base repression. Il was tre voient quarieis between of the oligarchs Rome that drove the Papal court to the rrench town of Avignon, near the south of the Rhone, in 1305. its exile from Rome But did little to make the Papacy a less extravagant or protit- able institution. Feudal the surplus was not ronesca to tacacase produc tivity, but spent directly.

Indulgencies Much of went repression, works of art. But no small went on sheer

"OOOHO]

1330 Pope indulgences: John

XXII

held feast at God's (doubtless with assistance) eight oxen, fifty five sheep, , four boars, eight six hundred and ninety pigs, fowl, five hundred and eighty partridges and three thousand eggs! Emphatic Wycliffe's views o TOt Papacy were emphatic: "If anyone saith, here at Avignon is the Christ, believe them not, for the deeds shall show who is the antichrist" The merchants of the Italian Citles nowevel anxious to have such lucrative custom vack, sent a serles ol emmissaries to Avignon But only in 1376 did the beautiful ma vste Catherine Benin casa (later canonised as Saint Catherine Siena*) persuade Pope Gregory Xl to return to Italy.

Not long after arriving in Rome, however, he died The majority of cardinals were French. However, they intimidated by the were Roman crowd into electing Italian the obsessive Church Urban ¡uncuonary, VI. He took office in April 1378. But shortly after retreating from the kome. French cardinals convened again and elected one of their own number, Clement VII. He was in effect the creature of the King France (who gleefully his election, commented, on 'now I am Pope!'). Recognised England, France's enemy, GulOlacay Urban. For over thirty years the division into two papacies maintained by was Haliulla rivalries. failing take Cement Rome, retreated to Avignon. Urban remained in Italy seek- ing, with and sali allicllt, sword, to enforce his mission throughout the peninsula.

contemporary account describes him, beseiged near Naples, caciumcalıl,an entire thrice day, army showered Lue v citadel with arrows. the Meanwhile, from SOCIALIST PRESS, W'ednesdal 3 Mai, 19-8 relative sanity of Oxford Wycliffe proposed a radical ans wer to ine rengious con• fusion "If there were a hundred and if all the friars popes, were turned into cardinals their on O PHOt mallers o. faith ought not to be believed as they have except insofar been founded upon Scripture". added others, still

HOL C

-quite live that poverty (the gospels Clearv disciples (the transformation body Christ, of not caused the clergy; Wycliffe accordingly Phroches the travelled through countryside, help. It W ds docu- Sonse. da ment And, in the sa w the bloody of the was extremely dangerous "Thus", reactionary, trodden foot of swine" violence the hands his doctrine monarchy uta. (which, had subject) Harsher steps were, however taken against HUvC Der Comburendi -On Desirability Ine fore- were the the Lutheran runners walch success fully Papal supremacy and irreversibly split the western Church.

The struggle to wrest the Bible from the hands of the essential priesthood was an element in undermining the dictatorship the ieula and thereby church preparing social revolution which overthrew feudalism With the development of printing (which reached England about 1474) the strutan ateon fid te Bible Translation the became a capital offence. The publication of the first English Bible (in pounc 1525)

WOTH

another scholar from Oxford, William Tyndale He also was burned for his efforts (as were many copies of his Bible). Irony Few- men can have done the tor revolutionary HOTe of England. By education bitter the irony it was London school primary named after William Tyndale that the education authorities stage CEOse witch-hunt of left-wing teachers for trying to teach in accessible to working a way class children The learned bureaucrats who sacked the Tyndale would well to Icacies recall Tyndale's own words: "Ere years I will cause the boy that driveth the blough to know , more of the

UNIONISATION FOR

At the meeting held in support of the Garners' Steak House strikers April 13, in Transport House, Reg Taylor said that when he was on strike over 30 years ago the most important thing

BBC

he learnt Don't was: trust the gravy train officers at the top'. Brother Taylor was one of well over 1,000 London hotel workers who struck during 1946 and 1947. Not only they Were systematically stabbed in the back by the then leadership of the General and Municipal Workers Union and viciously allackeu by ponce and courts but they were also attacked by Court of Inquiry, the Court Industrial and other equivalents of today's ACAS.

These forces between ensured that the them fight ior basic trade union rights was pushed back for a whole generation until it has had to This support was a decisive be taken up again now by the factor in the success of this workers at Garners, Claridges particular strike. Strikers and the other battles that began come out in the TO inevitably lie ahead. following days at the Russell and Piccadilly Hotels, and Claims managements A number of press reports announced their recognition claimed have that the of the GMWU, at a number of Claridge's strike last month big restaurants, including the was the first ever at the hotel.

Princess and La Maison de This is by no means the case.

France. The Times 10 Immally aller une war. wrote on and catering October that there was 'no many motel London justification' workers were in the refusa the General into recruited of the Savoy management to and Municipal Workers grant recognition. Union. At tirst the management The local was intransigent. Just as al catering officer was Arthur Claridges Garners and Lewis who was at the time recently, they published and still is, MP for the Upton that was everything area of last london proceeding normally. During 1946 about 500 of They took out a court the 800 workers at the Savoy injunction against Lewis and Hotel joined the GMWU. The two leaders of the Branch, management

CUISISEC ILEV

Arturo Kavera and francesco refused deal the Piazza, will to prevent to lry union, and at 6 am on them leading the picketing.

October picket lines were out at the Savoy on the demand Statement for recognition. They even issued a state- What is particularly signif- ment which said: icant about what happened "The is simply a next. in the lght of more method of recruiting for the recent events, is that the next union and is part of a general day, October, workers for all-powerful scuene throughout the Savov position of trade unionism in sirike in sym- this country"! recognition palny winne For all this bravado, the demand. Savoy management was nevertheless compelled Black supplies capitulale These included On 15 October they met wallets. and Charles Dukes,

GMWU

caam Dermaos COOKe Claridges, others from from General National Catering Tom the Berkley and. Dorchester National conrane. Hotel Simson's and trom and Wavering, the Onlicer Restaurant in the Strand.

London District Secretary, as Other well as Arthur Lewis. Recog- members out in the hotels- mon was agreea electricians and The carpenters management, how- included, and ever, had left themselves an Dital Smithfield loophole. The

THESE BETRAYALS

HALTED HOTEL

30 YEARS!

Attlee-his government together with the TUC knifed post-war workers struggles fully worked-out agreement.

Within the next few days, Furthermore, the involve- sye Berklet est liccadat ment of the national leader- Berkley Piccadilly ship of the

GMWU,

active Hotels, and also at Claridges, Simson's supporters of the austerity and even Lyons policies of the then Labour Corner House government, ensured that any More workers would further undoubtedly have come out the hotel workers would be stabbed in had it not been for the the back strenuous efforts of the GMWU leadership to confine Balance it to the Savoy chain alone The

GMWU

leadership The new balance of forces itself showed the following year, 1947. On 3 February a meeting at Lincoln's Inn Fields run by the Savov union worKers branch, protested about the delay of the management in signing the recognition agree- tor strike mentana Cated. if this was not soon action agreed. The response of the union leadership to this was to issue the slacment management week later, the irresponsible allacking element which had run the Lincoln's Inn Fields meeting, asserting that a and most cordial atmosphere' had developed the Cooper-stepped into Lewis' between and the bureaucras vucunt boston employers. further in their This cordiality, however, went sabotage. extended the was not On 22 March they actually Savov workers inemselves.

agreed with the through the new negotiating Threat machinerv to Piazza's suspen.

In March, the management sion for 14 days. felt able, at the same time as next persuaded the They eventually signing the recog- and it was strikers to return, then found that the manage- dismissal the of Francesco ment would not have Piazza Piazza, one the main back the OI militants, against whom they suspension. had previously served Each time the

GMWU

officials took a step back, it This threat was strengthened the immediately followed, on 13 management, weakened March 1947, by a walk-out those workers who had Further action was delayed during the and autumn of 1947 by the submission ot the case to the Industrial Court and then the National Arbitration Tribunal This was the machinery which at the because the Labour govern- ment had retained wartime legal restrictions on the right to strike. Institutions did no Such institutions more than their modern day co uvalents lo serve une caus ol une workers Thus, an interesting parallel to events of our own day, the National Arbitration Tribunal actually reported on the reinstatement of Piazza. the Savoy By TIme management felt in a strong enough position to do George Ward and refuse t carry out the reinstatement.

recent decision in the ordinary had on t

COUTE.

just made it possible for them to defy the 'advice' of the Arbitration Tribunal. Once again, the Union leadership dallied. Instead of calling the inevitable strike they insisted on a ballot first. After this had been passed they tried to postpone

LICH

further when the action of Labour Vilistel announced a Court of Inquiry on 4 November. The union members were be held back any not to longer. They walked out at Savoy on 6 November, the and were soon joined by Claridges, the other: Berkley and Simson's-in all, over 1000. This which struggle continued during the sittings of the Court of Inquiry the rest of November 1947, proved much more bitter and violent than the two previous strikes. 11 November lorries were stopped from delivering supplies by a mass picket of over 200, some of whom sat 'in the road. Others shouted "Squeeze the rich! Support the strikers!" It was said that a number of strikers were reluctant to be identified on the picket line so supporters came large numbers from other unions. contrast to its later stance, the Electrical Trades Union called out its members in support. Three Labour MPs appeared on the picket line on 12 November. Violence after this that was At bam on violence slee 16 November three petrol tankers appeared at the Savoy 100 and the pickets or So who were on duty at the time violently attacked by the police On the following day there were further violent Over 20 people were arrested, including Arthur Lewis. Many protests against the police action followed, ment from the late Marcus Lipton More effective opposition was mounted by Smithfield struck for one hour each morning Ship repair workers in the port of London stopped work another vessels gesture of solidarity. Court Meanwhile, the of Inquiry had been proceeding reith its work, and issed it.

November 1CO0i It again recommended the reinstatement of Piazza This time, however, was not necessarily to be to his old job, but "on terms reasonably equivalent to that which he had the service of the Savoy" Strike ballot The Court also attacked the strike ballot and called on the union leaders caca district local should be permitted to under take the leadership of strike: which the National Executive has not thought recognise as official proper is These statements provide the

GMWU

leaders with pretext to go for a settlemer.: on any terms, and to move: against the local leade:s including their own full-time officials who continued support the strikes On 2 December the new

GMWU

General Secretar Williamson announced Lom the settlement terms- employment for Piazza outside the Savoy reinstatement of the strike: "as soon as possible" Arthur Lewis was excluded from the meeting at which the strikers were told - without apparently being allowed even to vote-that they had to go back on these He soon afterwards was relieved of his responsibilities in acting for the unions ir the catering industry. This was by no means the end of what Williamson and the

GMWU

national leader- ship had in store, however.

Interest The only interest they now took in local militants whom were some of still suspended by management disciplinar! take action against them within the union; December the London District Committee of the union expressed its full confidence in Arthur Lewis and passed a resolution 'dis approving of the action of the National Executive and expressing profound disgust the terms of the settle- at ment'. Two days later this com- mittee was suspended, the officers the catering branch covering the Savoy. The action against the branch was allegedly because of talk there of setting up a break-away union, a hardly incorrect, surprising in the face of what reactior had already happened. district Soon are Wards chairman J. Leslie and secre- Fox were suspended tary v. from office, as also was J Blair, another prominent member of the branch. first Lewis, who at fought wrongly his through the suspension was later courts. not only kicked out of his fuli-time position, but expelled from the union altogether for circulating a leatlet to the which conference put forward his case. of interest to that the bureaucrat notice in charge put wine running the London district none other than Jack was Cooper, later Basnett's immediate predecessor as GMWU General Secretary and eventually eevated House of Lords Diabolical The diabolical • actions of

GMWU

the bureaucracy played an important role in holding back unionisation the hotel and catering industry until the present generation. There are obvious parallels with the present situation in the disastrous of the use courts, and the reactionary role of union officials • It is important, however. not to push the parallels too far. Though the unsuccessfu Claridges struggle of Арг 1978 was kept isolated weak, the bureaucracy is not in a posiuon now to move - with the same viciousness Furthermore, the working class 1s strongel confident now than following period depression and war. Now through the construc tion of a principled leaders.

1978 the laws of histor: and of class struggle

LOAN

bureaucratic

Page 10

TROTSKYISM

TODAY

*

OUT

NOW

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step against the The WSL fights at every leaders of the trade unions and the existing Labour Party-now firmly harnessed to bourgeois politicians of the Liberal Party in an unspoken coalition arrangement.

Against their policies of class collaboration we put forward instead a programme which points to the independent class interests of the class, its need to organise indepen- working destroy its capitalism, overthrow dently to machinery and establish a repressive state socialist planned economy.

Only in this way can workers resolve today's problems of tumbling living standards, mass slashed social services, racial, unemployment, national and sexual oppression.

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INDUSTRIAL

The decision to close Garrett Elizabeth the hospital has Anderson now been made. Monday At its meeting last the North-East Thames Regional decided Health Authority unanimously recommend David Ennals, Secretary of State that for the Social Services should be closed hospital soon as possible" Thus the work-in which has hospital open for the kept months now faces its past 18 most difficult moments. The scene for Monday's weeks ago when decision was sol the Camden and Islington AHA washed their hands of the task of hospital and referred cosing unte the decision to Ennials move by the AHA was That capitalist press, viewed EGA workers and of the many by the left press as a victory for the work-in. alone warned Socialist Press that no victory had yet been won that the fight to keep the hospital open was just reaching its most ditticult stage We wrote that the fight was no longer main the endedl crats and tin pot politicians of th AHA but was not with the DHSS Amidst growing mood of militancy, fire- many regions of in men the FBU are pressing for industrial action further in order to defend their working conditions. With increasing bitterness realising that the they are scandalous deal which hailed

FBU

executive as "victory" after nine weeks of solid strike action is in fact an invitation open Hailans launch a blatant ment

SONOU

PETITIO

STNN

EGA faces new threat and the Lib-Lab coalition itself.

thererore surprise that the RHA has made this decision. are we surprised that the IVOl four labour movement the RHA went along tatives on with the decision. SE from the Hencher.

TUC,

Region Tessa Jowell Trom Council, D.B Labour Gamael s Hoodles from Islington's Labour Council L.H. Lipson Labour Council marindey s failed to dissent from the decision to close the hospital. surprised by these But we do say that performances. these people must be disciplined organisations, which in their to send any case should retuse their members to give credence to this bosses' committee. The important question, now, for however. Is the •e•aration the inevitable moves by the DHSS to physically close the hospital.

The 24-hour picket which has been run down over the past few re estab. must now montas lished. FBU members fight cuts in manning attack on working conditions and reduce the effectiveness of avital emergency service most imminent Action Is in the London region (which voted unanimously the deal ana or contnung the strike in January) where these attacks are already well uncer way. The most dangerous threat levels, which is lo mannig management are proposing to reduce drastically in order to pay for the agreed reduction in working hours (from a 48 42 hour hour week to week). Increase Coupled with this, nel have more plans to increase workload of a reduced the which number O1

WOTKES

include a scheme for making firemen do various lasks l between calls-such as clean- out the station-and rota proposed change arrangement. 11 any one ol lnese propos implemented, it will als are firemen are mean Lial actually worse off after nine weeks of strike action SOCIALIST PRESS. Heireia: : ME: Strike call to

NEWS

papers strikes in All out Regional Thomson have been Newspapers called from May 9 ir support of journalists ai Hemel Hempstead who sacked fo have been working to rule.

INSIONEES.

The dispute is the secon major confrontation to blov

SAY

up this year between provin cial newspaper management and the NUJ, and reflects th frustration and agitation ove pay rates in that section

LIN

the working class. The strike has been calle

PENSIONE

by the emergency committe National Executive - say one day after strike la no week throughout the group Thomson responded to th strikes by sackin one day ospit. journalists at Reading, Cardi and Middlesborough. pa! dispute ments promised by the con pany above the national 10 agreement of £7.09p. Strike Meanwhile three chapels in Westminster Pre have been called out on stril -although its beginning w wi delayed to how talk. Pledges by union branches and management to go ahead call chon stewards committees ic The chapels-at

EGA

strikes in defence of the Watford and Acton-are must be sought. last three Westminster Pre must be placed on Demands the executive members of NUPE papers not to have been giv

ASTMS,

COHSE and NALGO to the nation backdating call London-wide strike action as pay settlement. soon as Ennals rubber-stamps the Immediately following t RHA decision. decision the annual co at Inside the EGA the workers NUJ to ference of the prepared to implement must be strikes in those chapels th real control of the hospital.

were left, management ma new offers at Slough and Oxford. both of which w accepted union

MASS

meetine s If the strikes go ahead t members senarate TrON The consultants and hospital manage- capability dispute has the called urgently to being blown wide open on ment plan these actions. again. well-planned and determined defence of the EGA original

BAN ON

around its at this stage demands-for the repair of the lift upgrading of the hospital on aliC Euston Road site-will have incalculable importance

BRANCH

fight against the cuts as a whole.

The National Executive 4,800 strong Natio the Probati of Association Officers may have a smal membership than other uni leaderships-but determined to prove itself less bureaucratic The London Or d Association has the and firemen must be wary of cuspended by the NEG tollov the Branch's determined stanc their leaders attempting any support of the Grunwick strike partial or com- acceptance last promise solution. passed a resolution supporting appeared Generalised drive strike-and strike- carrying a NAPO ban These attacks are part of a They were immediately ordi by the NEC to stop picketing drive towards generalised Branch conce The London speed-up and rationalisation, that their banner could bi maintain which attempts to read as a national rather tha the profitability of capitalism but insisted branch increasing the rate ot their right to join the picket by of workers and exploitation Chairman IVit UnIOr this drive makes no distinc Bruggen then proceeded to tion between the production out of order any mot!or Grunwick dispute at the Feb- of motor cars and the main And the La

NEC

of emergency nicolly Tenance all Branch was called upon to g:• service they would obe Firemen must realise that future NEC commands the only reason why manage- This was thrown out by a in a position to 3 by the Londor branch. " all declared it would be bou attacks these this issue only by the May the scandalous ot necause General Meetino DU betrayals of their own leader- ruled the London AGN - ship in selling out the strike "ultra vires on the matter The fight must be resumed On April 14 the NEC '=. a majority of 48 votes to s-: with revolutionary the London Branch leadership, the only leader- right wing NAPO ship that utilise the have clearly strength and solidarity shown emoarkel course collision wit during the nine-week strike.

proposals must be member. The And in this too !!: rejected by decisive totally much in common with he industrial and this action,

BUSMEN IN STRIKES

Virtually all London bus garages were involved lightning in one-hour strike action last week. At Holloway garage all from 8.30 stopped to 9.30 on Monday. This action has been a ganised by London branch represen- response the GLC's® plans drastically reduce schedules, *ath immediately and again = the autumn. Although the plans have -een in the au for some time.

official action has been -anared. There have been no :=gotiations manage- WIlM Tent. This week's lightning aton was intended to force *re initial step of talks with , which have now =ten agreed for Tuesday.

BUS

CUTS

PHOTO: Mark Rusher. tribute glowing to

TGWU

full-time catering officer George Abrahams appears in the latest issue of the employers' trade journal The Caterer. Abraham's co-operation and the tor col any s mandlina of staff arievances in the John Owen until recently General was Garners' steak Houses. From this article it is possible acon that has burdened the lead- of the ership strike SuCC + - Innie. However, since it became clear of the strikers that to a section memberstio TGWU around policies that mould win the strike would inev- White collar workers at Shell Mex tanker depots went on strike last week over a claim for a 142% across-the-board increase.

†ven non-unionised staff came out in a 100% response.

Management had offered 10% for the lower 18% for the cites and highest grade, but this had succeeded in splitting the The tanker drivers" Mciands Committee met and lines picket ...d he respected in spite of of inreats

TO STOP CUTBACKS

The management presents go beyond one day protests the cuts as an "improvement and leaflets aimed at winning in service" 'public sympathy', and lead They maintain that by to the complete shut down of formalising the effective cut of 10% understaffing, trans- ferring to one man operation runs and buses and reducing the length of route the service three weeks will be more reliable'! Transport fear workers that the package will include reduction of overtime, an end The three week strike to rest day working-both of by Leeds bus workers in which will cut their already defence of written a miserable take home wages mutuality agreement has and reduction mean future availability of jobs.

now been made official. The danger now comes The strike was sparked off from within the union itself. by management moves to cut

TGWU

Larry Leeds and in west Smith is already preparing to

SULCUUIC

betray through talks out prior agreement of union 'productivity deals' with Conceded The task facing bus workers is the preparation of Though union representa- an all-out struggle which will tives have conceded that the

- THE DUSES

TERROR DET

BUS

CUTS

NEXT W

KN

CAN

KILL

Garners: fight for levy itably involve with conflict industries in the future.

Abrahams, a consistent fight has course. The last thing this rotten leadership, com- ween wadeo to wrest conto trom the paralysing grip of the bureau- mitted defence cracy and their spokesmen within carnatism wants to co. the suike comminee Opposition The latest gain with adoption came the The passing of this resolution resolution in the 1/647 branch of despite the TGWU on Monday 24 April.

une Moved by the Abrahams (who had blocked it at the branch meeting) and Garners strike committee it called strike on me reciona commitee o tre TGWU to pay the hard-pressed Hacaman demonstrates strikers £36 a week by means of a degree support within strike for those who have opposed megional levy or any otner means it may consider. Abranam s policies or Isolation and betrayal Precedent That this represents further tne bureaucracy are losing control of the strike was They will want to avoid, as a reflected in the a earance matter orinciole Setting National Organise precedent on the levy which Secretary Ron Todd on the picket could force them into sustaining lines on Thursday. Ma o

SITIKES

stratedle Despite the assurance. and Cooke (food Drink and Tobacco Trade Group 14% pay fight secre- tary), that everything would now done to win tnis strike, the strikers are determined to force their leaders to mobilise support around all their policies of secon dary blacking, mass picketing and the raising of strike pay to £36.

To this end they picketed the However, confusion reigned about whether the Committee meeting on Recional Tuesday 2 May with leaflet strike was to be made official.

for Of the two unions involved, demanding unes: policies.

ASTMS

said it was official, did but nothing, while Grunwick ACTSS said it was unofficial but made preliminary moves The Garners strikers had a to arrange strike pay May Day march on In that confused Situation within the Region

TGWU

some depots have returned to contingent. On last year's demon.

work whereas others are still station lne arenwick strikers nac similar float following on strike. Region 1 Committee; by thei What is needed to win the the

TGWU

Moollise dispute aoove membership around policies that effective national rank and but that file leadership, politically conflict with the interests of the equipped the bureaucracy, the Garners strikers demoralisation and confusion demonstrate determination the full time same batn ol all London Transport around a programme to defend jobs ana improve services Leeds out for Leeds Metropolitan Council has the right to decide the level of services, they took to defend the mutuality agreement.

TGWU

branch ballot registered a 95% response, in which a majority of members mandate for strike gave action it management refused to honour the agreement. On Wednesday 3 May mass meetings will be held in the the West Yorkshire rest of Metropolitan district, which one day strike action support Leeds depots will be proposed The have rail

UNIONS

shown their support by preventing the running of extra extra services coaches on trains. Though the is strike the breaking of centred on this agreement the real issue is the cuts, through which the Toget ale Save £400,000 in the West Yorks Metropolitan area-of which the Leeds share is half. The Tories are determined to carry through these cuts The charge of manager scheduling has even gone off to Scotland on holiday in the midst of the dispute. The attacks on bus jobs goes alongside comprehensive cuts. nas ooos local authorities have been frozen in the Leeds Metro- politan area. The bus workers must call on NALGO, NUPE, GMWU and NUT members to join with them in a common struggle against the cuts and full restoration of services. There be must also Regional levy of

TGWU

members to help the strikers who now receive only £6.50 per week strike pay. Power not restored John Power, the AUEW convenor of British Leyland's Service Division in Cowley remains victimised. Leyland management sacked him nedry mon t alleged overdrawing ot expenses for meetings Leyland's new National Negotiating Committee vust over two weeks fater they changed this to suspension on full Pay it Power is eventually sacked I win be an important victory to management and set the scene for new attack on conditions and doreements particulary ine Service Division. "final appeal" hearing was nearo oy manadement last rrieav It was adjourned at the request of management be reconvened on • to Thursday of this week. Meanwhile he remains suspended on full pay A mass meeting was urged by Power himself not to take strike aclon out To wall decision. It is not known if management Ildut Concessions. MOrE intormation is to be given to a mass meeting within the servICe plant as we go to press rower nas the support of the members. If he is not reinstated this week it is crucial that strike action is taken in nis detence Management must be allowed to play for time until his Page i:

-INDUSTRIAL NEWS-

Rolls Royce 0.1% victory Workers at the Rolls upgrading claims but these can now be pursued Royce plants at Parkside During dispute EN e and Ansty in Coventry management attempted to re- returned to work on introduce the issue of piece- Monday after voting to work into the wage negotia.

accept a deal worked out Changeover by ACAS. Under the deal Some 300 worker management agreed to pay a go over Parkside have yet to 9.8% increase and drop Dav Work. , and measured strings they had attached to claiming management were their original 9.7% offer.

that the gap between the They had been insisting 9.7% offer and the 10% claim that 12-month freeze should be held back should be imposed finance the changeover. Under deal the now The real worked out ACAS officials will hold the 0.2% (approx- imately £40,000) and "ensure for the ending of piecework" tin-pot The 0.1% won during the dispute will be paid out at Christmas in the form of a each bosses lump sum for worker. It is clear from the way Rolls Royce workers stuck to Workers at two Cornish their 10% claim the that willingness to fight manage- tin mines now face the threat ment is there. of redundancy. Besides the battles over The Swiss-based multinational pay for work done during the which comedy dispute in the work-ins at Wellington recently announced the closure of the both plants, the key issue imminent mine will be up ins was tolower by a simia lo ena piece announcement last week from the WOrK South of African the Partial gain that mining would become un.

economical with increased Union leaders are reported as willing to end piecework if Moodine mar would resuit vrom Mount Wellington's closure.

earnings can be guaranteed.

The Cornish mining industry securing an agreement vvnea vane mine. on ine around through the intervention of as imperialism gained access to far

ACAS,

cheaper supplies management, forced although back a world shortage of tir meant that extraction once again down on piecework and the became a profitable proposition freeze on upgrading claims, have won a partial gain in in luis area. ano mese iwo mines were rao pened in 970a struggle to direct Now with international workers towards conciliation slump in production. demand ha and arbitration through a fallen sharply. For capitalists, tin- state body (ACAS). mining in Cornwall is no longer a viable investment. at Rolls The workers Royce will rapidly Shutting down Wheal Jane and come up Mount Wellington would add 800 against the fact that 9.8% will workers to the dole queues in an withreat deal to arec compete rises price already running at 14%. The failure of the leader- Predictably alask of siding the ship to confront the . wage- Macossary cutting Lib-Lab coalition by workers' inquiry to investigate the levels and effects of the flooding going for only 10% did not as part of the central fight for the mean that management these mines would attacks nationalisation Or suspend local union officials wages and conditions. attempted to divert the militant opposition of the workers and Open the books their struggle against redundancy. The demands by manage. West neestens ment for MDW are part of an Cornwall district-secretary of the

TGWU

pointed all-out attack the shop loans floor massive Governme Mount Wellington's owners.

Workers should fight now But he used this as the for the the opening basis tor a call on ioss Evans to company books suggest that the government seize important weapon in the the mine's shaft and pumps-and coming ten mana mem over to consola wages, conditions and jobs.

ated Goid Mines that this enormous capitalist enterprise could run Wheal Jane profitably!

EVELTINI

SOCIALIST

AREA

Our cartoonist Tim was completely tied up this weekend producing the above May Day float. Official returns next week.

BAILIFFS SMASH UP

NURSERY OCCUPATION

WHICH WAY FROM THE CARNIVAL?

PRESS

A squad of over fifty police and bailiffs finally evicted the occupiers of Oxtord the South Nursery at 11.30 am last Friday. trade Twenty parents, unionists and Came soo fourteen porters along with children nursery leTT building singing after bailiffs brutally smashed their way in separate entrances, by glass over showering the nursery. Earlier the same day, much smaller 7.30 and contingent ponce bailiffs had failed to imple- ment a County Court. possess- when noone Iron lon UracI the Council hierarchy turned up to give them the authority to break down the doors. Possession order The day Judge

PICVIOUS

Verney granted the 0201 Council's application for the Order and, in possessiol display of predictable vindic- had awarded costs aveness. five named against Ted including respondents unemployed Eames, teacher and parent who had been helping to run the class Ann-Marie Sweeney a parent and NUPE vice-chairman, and

NUPE

Officer Divisional George Anderson. national tne extensive coverage given to the eviction media reflects the in all the the six impact week occu has had as the only pation principled direct fight against the cuts outside the London hospital occupations. What the bourgeols press and television omits of course is any reference to the effect of the campaign labour movement. Strike action The need now is to take to the next this Call Daill stage and to step up demands for strike action from NUPE be forced leaders who must 'left' turn recent wolus striking action and by

HELO

save this nursery, fight to to all care- detend the lobs o1 staff, dinner takers,

KELCHCH

helpers and cleaners. The local NUPE bureau- and Millar, Anderson rattled the clearly by are militancy of their growing membership and are desper- ately looking for ways quietly ditch the nursery campaign. Eroded While they duck and run members' rights their are being steadily eroded by local gleefully who the seize on policy and coalition's CuLs every retreat by union leaders excuse as all class pay for crisis of capital. The right-wing bureau. cracy in the Oxford NUT has

SOCIALIST

* Police and bailiffs barge in to the nursery class its share of also been doing running as the fight over the nursery has reopened the cuts teachers' the question union Divisional Jack Steadman, Secretary, clearly thought he had buried all opposition education in Cuts January when sell-out abject teachers' ended Ine dispute nine-month staffing levels. However Steadman himself nearly defeated was in his own branch when he barely managed to manoeuvre amend- derisory through ment to a motion tabled by the nursery members Occupation Committee. In the biggest display of since the anti-fascist feeling 50,000 people, 1930's, mainly youth, marched from Victoria Trafalgar Square to the Anti Park, Hackney "'Carnival Nazi League's Against the Nazis" was forced to Steadman last resort of use the to frightened bureaucidu position -and maintain his launched a witch-hunt against the nursery campaign leaders.

members

NUT

they whether decide nO W trade want debating society. If they want must build they all alternative leadership that Is fight the cuts prepared of merely mouthing instead 'concern' about them. occupation of actual South Oxford Nursery Class may have ended, but the class in itself will continue whilst the building is stepped campaign up lo demand the immediate instatement of the 30 places Predictably, 'left MPs Audres and Mikardo were Wise at platform speakers among the The rally a ratan du fascist creden parad in that ally credentials, but naturally their failure explain to lift a finger struggle against the anti-working class Lib- and the class collab- Lao coalition

SPECIAL FUND

and fundraising activities should be plai After an excellent start the Special Fund in each area to make sure the full am has fallen back this week with only £32.50 is raised in good time. arriving in the office in the last seven days, All readers and supporters are invite making a total to date of £745.27.

of this fund whic If we are going to reach the £2,000 target help in the raising intended to lay a sound financial basi: the end of July we need to raise an by over the a series of publications average of £100 a week over the next three months by sending a donation to: months. WSL Special Fund Readers and supporters who have pledged 31, Dartmouth Park Hill money to this fund should therefore begin London NW5 1HR sending this money in as soon as possible Drivers strike shuts down Cowle 350 cartransporter voted overwhelming Friday continue to in defence 01 strike Preston, chairman Branch and senior ste Cartransport Ltd. Preston was sack months ago accused o Now by management. been cleared of the and drivers from all of companies moving 5,000 per week produ the showrooms are for his reinstatement The dispute clos Cowley pants last they became congest Leyland intend t cars. run production for a f this week having reo! Sell-out Bid Friday's mass mee urged to re strongly David Buc work Oxford District Secr "Turn to the gramme to and the lost jobs. the TGWU. Worker!" For this to As reported in last week's Woman Buckle urged th anything more than an Socialist Press the Countv accept management's the labour move- refused see empty cry Council accept only fight Trades Council delegation to ment must

ROL

industrla. to maintain discuss the nursery existing nuisery Preston elect Council officers, provision but also ensure that Trades complaint of unfair d who on this issue can call on such inadequate provision as Buckle said there v backing of wide improved and the clea official support no extended. layers of the workers move- strike since the strik This means carrying on the that the must insist not given the compat fight to break ahead negouanons days notice nore agre coalition at every level.

planned. to ACAS struggle the cuts continuing Action acalist Fortunately he will be the theme of a nursery the South Oxford around convince the meetin in Oxford on rally Nursery has shown the vita. correctly of principled leadership Saturday May 27. of their

TO E

defence in giving a determined direc- steward could senior basic fight for tion (TO Enle delayed further rights. Details from Ted Eames, more legal wran still Workers Socialist Street, The East Osney, strike goes on. Trotsky's League takes up Oxford. Transitional Pro- call in the growth of racism and fas this is th sibility of the Labour m the

CORTION

backers among the tra the for oureducal

•ITIONS

unemployment and Y mists solutiri the ation of "immigrants" The

ANL

however prominence within the of the svr, is unable l these questions becaus Liberal Lord Avebury ot the would disassociate campaign

ANL

• is therefo _I ne to advance the progran sary to mobilise the wo against their building o ane tor in defence squads against orationist betrayals of the trade The anolitical nature of the and fascists carnival summed up in the slogan union bureaucracy The Workers Sociali "NF=No Fun" the inadequate The huge out tor TUrN though having consider this is a clear indication of the the march present situatiol modest resources at 11 growth of feeling strength of feeling amongst youth

ANL,

will co Tremendou. I back into the than the and fascism against has to be directed struggle for

SUCH

amongst working class youth.

organised working class knowledge that there the ANL is quite unable The task posed to those seek- way in which the thres oul ing to organise these youth is to to give the direction and leader the extreme right can b explain the material causes of the ship necessary to these youth.