THOUSANDS GISCARD WAR MOVES Dangers remain despite EGA partial victory

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blished by Folrose Ltd. for the Workers Socialist League, 31, Dartmouth Park Hill, London Printed by Anvil Printers (TU), London. Registered as a newspaper at the Post Office. on French imperialism the CP leadership was forced by the massive hostility among workers to Giscard's policy to call this demonstration based around slogans rejecting all military intervention.

The demonstration, attended by tens of thousands of workers and students, was also organised by organisations of the "far left"-the LCR, the PSU, Lutte Ouvriere and the OCT.

The demonstration was an important step against imperialism.

Alternative The Stalinist leadership, however, is clearly intent on making it not a part of a general political mobilisation against the reactionary policies of the Giscard-Barre government but an alternative to such a mobilisation.

And the CP have gone out of their way to formulate their criticisms of Giscard's African policy in such a way that it does not threaten their aim of building a firmer alliance with the Gaullists.

So Marchais in his speech stressed not so much opposition to French colonialism but opposition to French support for American imperialism.

So he condemned the African wars because they were on behalf of American multinational trusts and because they neraided France's return to NATO-objections which he knows will appeal to Gaullist nationalism.

The French labour bureaucracy has faced another difficult situation in the last two weeks when workers expected it to act in their interests and against the reactionary policies of the Giscard government.

Occupation

This was the militant occupation of two plants of the state-owned Renault company, at Cleon near Rouen and at Flins near Paris.

The comprehensive demands of the workers include higher wages; a reduction in the length of the working week; an extra week of annual holiday and improvements in working conditions.

The Renault management replied by breaking off negotiations with the unions and calling in the armed police.

The surrounding of the Flins factory by thousands of heavily armed riot police was enough to convince the few hundred mostly immigrant workers in The Flins workers meanwhile had reoccupied part of the plant.

The attitude of the two main trade union federations has been different.

The CFDT has practiced open sabotage and demanded an immediate end to the strikes and occupations.

The Stalinist-dominated CGT has given some verbal support and even called for solidarity action.

But they are restricting this to token two or four hour stoppages which they hope will be enough to protect them against charges of betrayal while at the same time defusing the wave of anger among French workers against the brutal interventions of the state.

But the lesson of the Renault occupations and that of the anti-imperialist demonstration are the same-the French Stalinists are being forced more and more to call limited mobilisations of workers in order to head off the mounting anger against all aspects of the Giscard regime.

DESPITE DENIALS by the police that there was anything to connect the incident to the National Front, Sunday night's 15 minute street battle between Asians and 150 rampaging white racist youth in the Brick Lane area of East London had all the hallmarks of an organised racist The . attack was launched from three directions by the youth whose hatred of the Asian community had doubtless been fuelled over the past week by front page headlines in the national and London evening press over the proposal to create a Bengali "ghetto" in that part of East London.

'Left' MP Arthur Latham has called for a Special Branch report on the incident, presumably hoping that these spies on working class organisations and "extremist" groups will be able to establish a link between these youth and fascist groups.

Socialist Press has consistently condemned such appeals to the capitalist state for aid in dealing with the fascists as not only hopeless but extremely At a neeting on Thursday ith representatives of staff at the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Hospital, David Ennals announced that no attempt was to be made to close the hospital on July 21.

Faced with determined opposition to the closure throughout the labour movement and almost definitely with the prospect of sustained strike action in London's hospitals during the approach to the General Election, Ennals was forced to declare a postponement of the closure date.

This news was greeted with understandable delight by the EGA staff and hailed dangerous workers' movement.

Latham has voted for every single anti working class measure of the Labour and Lib-Lab governments-measures which have perpetuated and worsened the appalling conditions in which both black and white workers are forced to live in numerous urban areas.

State to act

Now that the fascists are exploiting the cowardly failure of the 'lefts' to fight for a clear alternative to the betrayals of the right wing, Latham wants the bosses' state apparatus to act-on behalf of the workers!

The only way to halt the racist attacks is for the labour movement to organise workers defence squads to defend immigrant families, picket lines and public meetings.

At the same time this struggle must coincide with a fight in every labour movement body to clear out the right wing Callaghan-Healey leadership and break this anti-working class coalition government.

Also proposed ing party as a 'victory' for pation.

But on closer examination it can be seen that the 'victory' is very partial and that Ennal's statement is deliberately worded to concede nothing to the EGA except a postponement of closure.

There is no long term committment to maintain the hospital on its Euston Road site.

Ennals the statement setting up a workwhich will: .. draw up detailed proposals for alternative accomodation"

EGA stewards must be very wary of entering into a working party set up to discuss ways of closing their own hospital.

They must refuse to cooperate with Ennals in any way until a definite commitment is made to repair the lift at the EGA.

At the moment they have only conditionally agreed to enter the working party but they must be prepared to turn this into a complete boycott when Ennals' intentions are made more clear.

At a conference of London Health Service stewards held at the EGA on Saturday it was quickly revealed that one part of Ennals' statement at least was a downright lie.

One of the main reasons for EGA stewards accepting Ennals' proposals was that he promised that the nine COHSE members in the Emergency Bed Service, who have been suspended for continuing to refer patients to the EGA against the RHA's instructions would be reinstated-or at least that the problem of their suspension would be quickly resolved.

A speaker from the EBS however revealed the cynical intention behind the promise.

He informed the conference that the members had not been reinstated, that they would still have to attend the disciplinary hearing, and that they would only be reinstated if they signed a pledge to act entirely under the instructions of the RHA.

Refused to sign

The suspended workers have refused to sign this pledge, as it would obviously remove their independence as a trade union branch.

They have called for a mass picket of the hearing at Fielden House, 28, London Bridge St., London SEl at 1.30pm on Wednesday 14 June.

These workers must be supported and their defiant stand at the very centre of the fight against hospital closures must be preserved.

Without their full and immediate reinstatement even the partial victory will be turned into a defeat.

Reinstatement

COHSE branches must pass resolutions demanding that their leadership who have formally given official support to the EBS members take immediate steps to ensure their reinstatement.

Such a resolution has already been passed by St. Pancras Hospital COHSE branch, which also at a passed by South Camden District JSSC-must be welcomed as the strongest initiative taken so far by any individual hospital in defence of the EGA.

There was an almost unanimous call at Saturday's conferenceattended by about 40 stewards-for the setting up of an all-London Health Service Joint Shop Stewards Committee.

The general mood of the conference was that the partial victory over the EGA could only be turned into a complete victory if the union leadership was to take the offensive and consolidate the strength which has forced Ennals' change of mind Health service workers must:

*Fight for the immediate reinstatement of the EBS staff.

* Adopt a policy of indefinite strike action should the EGA closure proceed. • *Demand an injection of funds into the NHS to restore all cuts-linked to rising costs as assessed by trade union committees.

*Fight for the nationalisation of the drug monopolies and private medicine without compensation.

FUND With a further £137.46 to add to our total since last week and a Summer Fete taking place in Oxford this weekend the €2,000 special fund is poised to take a big leap forward.

Our total to date is £1199.66, leaving us £800.34 to raise over the next six weeks.

Providing all the money that has been pledged comes in we should have no problem in raising that sum and indeed in going well over the top.

Donations should be

: 01 WSL Special Fund , Dartmouth Park F London NW5 1HR

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PHOTO: Chris Davies, Report PHOTO