FORCE NATO OF AFRICA. European workers must act now

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Mhose side is the WRP on? system independent revolutionary economic approach by the masses.

strategic areas with forces Continued on Page 2 What is this scene? And what is its connection to a twelve month struggle that ended last week in complete victory? For the full story of a unique struggle against victimisation by union officials and management, see Industrial News, page 11.

PHOTO: Andrew Wiard, Report Callaghan The turn by the US administration and NATO chiefs towards direct military intervenis imposing severe strains on their collaborationist 'detente' policy with the Soviet Union.

And it poses a threat to the whole international workers movement.

Plans are now being discussed by American, British, French, German and Belgian governments to coordinate policy on Africa, with the French energetically fighting for the establishment of a permanent pan-African strike force.

As these capitalist leaders met in Paris, the first major demonstration against French imperialism's role in Africa-called by the French but as a desperate gamble in Communist Party-took the hope of easing their place on Monday night. economic and political Workers in, the NATO crisis. countries must take up the fight not only to stop these of the economic policy plans, but to destroy the whole reactionary NATO set-up which now raises the ation and Development possibility of plunging the (OECD) exposed once again world into a new war.

The capitalist politicians going crisis since the war, and their military advisors the anarchy of the capitalist have taken the decision to planned prevents unified use every means at their disposal to repress the national liberation and anti- various governments. dictatorial struggles that are now convulsing crucial areas mass. unemployment and in the African continent.

Assistance In doing so they have also decided that they will challenge the right of the Soviet bloc and Cuba to give material aid and military assistance to such struggles.

Implicit in this challenge is the danger of direct confrontation between imperialism and the workers states.

The capitalist class has adopted this stance not from a position of strength inter-capitalist competition combine to create huge dislocation in the capitalist economy, the last thing the imperialist powers can afford is the possible loss of the super-profits they extract from the exploitation of the colonial and semi-colonial states of Africa.

Militant struggles Yet they see reactionary pro-imperialist regimes throughout the continent being rocked by the militant Carter struggles of African workers and peasants, and forced to preserve their control through the most vicious military repression.

Only last week a meeting Tied to the purse strings of imperialist finance capital committee of the Organis- these regimes have been ation for Economic Cooper- unable to create any substantial popular base of support, and remain vulnerthat even in the most deep- able to revolutionary Twice in fifteen months any the corrupt CIA-backed Or Mobutu regime in the vast mineral-rich state of Zaire has tottered on the verge of As stagnation, inflation, defeat in front of the merest handful of rebels.

Only the swift and brutal intervention of French and Belgian troops against the rebels last month saved Mobutu once more-and brought to the forefront the issue of a long term imperialist force in Africa.

Now US planes are ferrying 1,500 Morrocan regular troops as a first step in a long term plan to prop up Mobutu.

But while imperialists are concerned to repress liberation struggles they are also perturbed at the way in which those involved in such struggles turn almost automatically to the Soviet Union and Cuba for assistance.

Failure active involvement in Africa in the recent period.

The Kremlin's lack of confidence that it can any parasite Kremlin clique that longer command the loyalty of the mass so-called "Euro- October Revolution has not communist" parties of attempted in any way to Europe in a conflict with defend itself by encouraging imperialism, and the abject failure of Soviet diplomacy struggle by the African in the Middle East both seem to be factors that have encouraged the Stalinist bureaucracy to a more UGT conference Convenor reinstated .. p.11 French President Giscard French troops in Kolwesi that will prove both dependable opponents of True to form, the independent working class action -the Derg military feeds off the gains of the dictatorship in Ethiopia, and the left' nationalist regimes in Angola and Mozambique.

But in order to establish its anti-imperialist credentials in Africa the Stalinist Instead it has sought out bureaucracy has also given a political relationships in

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The South African government last week published three bills which it is hoped will head off the struggle by the black masses against the racist state.

The bills provide for 99year leases to be granted to qualified urban blacks who are living outside the tribal homelands; for the replacement of the hated pass books by travel documents issued by the homeland government; and for the replacement, by the word "black' ', of the term Bantu in all government legislation.

New passports The new travel documents' set to replace pass books will contain all the details contained in the pass books but will be issued by homeland governments instead white civil of servants.

Despite the fact that blacks are to be allowed freedom from arrest for not carrying papers within a distance of 5km., the maximum penalty for a travel offence is increased from one to three months.

Limited The lease-hold reform has been limited bécause the South African government still maintains that full freehold property rights will only be available in the future "independent" black states.

relaxation pur stols be blacks is quite clear. As a joint statement from the Urban Foundation (an employers' federation) and the Association of Building Societies states:

... it is a most significant step towards meaningful home ownership which would entrench free enterprise values among blacks and generally achieve greater stability in our urban areas"

Cracking down

As the imperialist stranglehold over Southern Africa begins to weaken, Vorster's regime is cracking down on any expression of independent action by black workers, while at the same time encouraging the co-option of the black petty-bourgeoisie.

By cracking down on the masses Vorster hopes to cut off the pressure being applied on black collaborators like Bhutelezi.

A revolutionary leadership in South Africa will have to be built in conflict with those within the black population who are prepared to collaborate with A pass book the Vorster regime.

The "reforms" are directed primarily towards those forces.

AMONG the squads of imper¡alist troops dispatched to prop up the hated Mobutu regime in Zaire trod an alien figure - Chinese Foreign Minister Huang Hua, who flew in especially to declare Peking support for the tottering despot.

A wave of unofficial pay strikes throughout the Renault combine in France has brought swift retaliatory lockout action from management.

The strikes-ranging from brief sectional stoppages to more widescale strikes and occupations at the plants at Flins and at Cleon, near Rouen-are in pursuit of demands well in excess of the incomes policy laid down by the government.

Strikers are calling for a minimum wage of 3,000 francs (£360) per month; a 40-hour week; a fifth week's paid holiday, and retirement at 60.

Management have responded by breaking off talks with union officials and locking out all 16,000 workers at the Flins plant, where 400 press shop workers have been on strike, applied for court

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tion to safeguard imper- ialist interests in Africa

pay sit-ins

and sat in over the weekend. And Renault have