Socialist Youth League launched

Scan page 5

Youth from London, Yorkshire, the Midlands and the North West met in Birmingham on Sunday May 7 to found the Socialist Youth League, a youth movement in support of the policies and programme of the Workers Socialist League.

Moving the main resolution, Phil Moore from Aylesbury, a member of the NUSS National Committee, spoke of the growing crisis of capitalism and the betrayals of the trade union leadership in the face of worsening slump.

Pointing to the treacherous role of the right wing Labour leaders in forming an undeclared coalition with the Liberals, Phil Moore said that it was the economic and social conditions created by this anti-working class coalition that formed the material basis for the increased influence of racists and fascists in the middle class and sections of the working class.

The main thrust of the fight against racism and fascism had to be the struggle to break the coalition and remove the right wing Labour leaders and their supporters trade bureauThe Socialist Youth League had the policies to meet the crisis and the task was to build a new leadership in opposition to the present reformists who were more interested in defending capitalism than the jobs and living standards of their members.

Chris Forrest, seconding the resolution, spoke of the events the previous day at the British Leyland plant at Speke in Liverpool.

Here, the refusal of the stewards to advance a fighting programme for the defence of jobs had resulted in the workers accepting the closure the plant.

Comrade Forrest placed the blame for this squarely on the shoulders of the leadership and in particular BL combine chairman Derek Robinson who in addressing the workers twice in three weeks, never once raised the question of occupation.

Speakers from the floor stressed the enormous potential amongst youth for building an alternative leadership. Examples of courageous struggle by youth in Palestine, South Africa, Zimbabwe and • Europe were brought into the meeting while other speakers explained in detail the policies that the SYL should be fighting for the working class.

Young comrades from NALGO and the AUEW described the work they were carrying out among young workers in their unions.

The conference voted unanimously in support of the founding resolution and constitution and proceeded to elect a National Committee.

Andrew MacDonald moved a resolution on proposed activities. This included plans for campaigns on youth unemployment and the fight against racism and fascism; the publication of pamphlets fOI these PHOTO: Chris Davies, Report Callaghan synonym for permanent and rigid wage control.

Hayward's most vigorous

attack was centred on Thatcher's attempt to create the impression that the Tories would end wage restraint, and allow free collective bargaining.

"She seems attracted to this idea because if the government stops its so-called interfering in the free enterprise system, then Mrs Thatcher thinks, so will the "wicked robber barons", the Trade Union leaders"

Almost without realising it, Hayward has put his finger on one reason why TUC leaders have been so anxious to collaborate with the Lib-Lab government in imposing controlyears of rigid wage They fear the prospect of workers once again pursuing their own claims with their own employers.

They prefer that all wage "negotiation" should be concentrated in the secret and campaigns and the launching of a monthly news sheet, as well as proposals for social activities for youth in each area.

Critical point Although modest in size, this meeting to launch the Socialist Youth League comes at a critical point when youth up and down the country are becoming increasingly radicalised as a result of the deepening economic crisis, reflected in the increasing activities of the racists and fascists.

It is this radicalisation which will provide the backcloth to the fight to build the SYL in coming months.

60,000 to 25,000 this year.

Former Front stronghoks in West Yorkshire and the West Midlands saw the NF vote cut to an average 2.6% and 4.5% respectively.

•But with Labour leaders continuing with the anti-working class policies that created the base for the NF in the first place, the council elections point to " the necessity to step up the fight to construct a leadership in the labour movement that will fight on a clear programme to defend the independent interests of the working class. between top TUC bureaucrats and the government-and then forced from above upon hostile union members.

Hayward makes the point even clearer as he sketches an imaginary horror picture involving the end of wage and price control, spiralling inflation and soaring wage demands.

negotiator have of resisting rank and file demands for pay increases to match price increases?"

In other words, in the topsy-turvy world of Lib-Lab class collaborating politics, the job of a negotiator is to resist the demands of his members: the job of the "socialist" Labour government is to restore the health of capitalism: and an ideal wage increase is one that leaves workers poorer than they were a year before!

With 'friends' like this in the leadership of the Labour movement, who needs

----- pull-quotes -----

"Faced with that, what chance would any union