Looking back at US miners

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Pope meets Maker.. p.9 Cold war pawns. p.8 Press Gang... p.4 "Trotskyists' and • p.3 The dramatic fall in the value of the dollar promises to bring savage attacks throughout the world on the jobs and living standards of the working class.

Growing chaos of capitalist production, trade and currency exchange rates demonstrates clearly that the task of defending the conditions of the working class requires the destruction of the capitalist system and the replacement of anarchy and exploitation with a socialist economy planned and managed by the working class.

Beaming

One month ago, the leaders of the capitalist world emerged beaming from their summit meeting in West Germany.

They claimed major steps towards solving the economic crisis of the capitalist world. It did not take long for their pose to stand revealed as nothing but sham and pretence.

The capitalist crisis has in no way been solved: it has sharpened.

Weakened

It is not just a crisis affecting the dollar. The sharp rise in the price of gold is evidence that confidence in all currencies has been weakened.

The trade imbalance between the major capitalist nations is greater than it has ever been-the surpluses which the oil producing countries and Japan command and protect, fuel the crisis in America and other deficit countries.

The decline of the dollar over the last two years is largely the result of this gigantic United States trade deficit, expected this year to amount to $30 billion, and of the flight of capital from the US to other countries where it extracts profit.

David Rockefeller, President of Chase Manhattan Bank, said this week that the dollar's slide threatened the international monetary system.

"They (foreign capitalists) feel that if we don't know how to deal with our own economy (i.e. working class), what kind of advice can we be giving them"

*No to import controls! *No to wage cuts and on social services. *For the international independence of the working class. *Expose and drive out the reformist and Stalinist leaders who betray the working class. *An end to the anarchy of capital. *Expropriate the banks, international finance organisations and major companies for a planned socialist economy. *For workers' governments!

Carter has done nothing to stop the dollar fallingindeed he is using the fall as. one instrument of trade war.

But devaluation creates more problems for the capitalists. It raises prices of imported materials; it reinforces inflation and it threatens to provoke the OPEC countries into raising the price of oil.

THE FALL THE 1971-1978 surrent accou balance,$l 1972 1974 OPEC countries are also threatening to dump the dollar next month by fixing a multi-currency oil price which will not be subject to sudden variations between currencies.

American capitalists, therefore, search for other forms of protection through tariffs and import controls.

In every capitalist country demands for protectionism are growing.

These trade war measures threaten to undermine both confidence in currencies and the whole basis of world trade.

Inflation, unemployment, currency instability and protectionism are consequences of their efforts to restore profitability.

Capitalists of different nations try to protect their profits at the expense of their international brothers through protectionism and competitive devaluation.

Clearly this cannot be a solution for capital on a world-scale which fights to restore its appropriation of surplus value-the only source of profit.

For the working class internationally this means massive attacks: more unemployment through Dollar's effective exchange rate -10 1978, weekly -12 "June July Aug' OECD es 1 12 1978 ST closures and new technology; lower living standards through tax rises and wage cuts; cuts in social services.

Undefeated

Internationally the working class is however, undefeated. Such attacks will, despite treacherous leadership by social democrats and Stalinists, be resisted...

The crisis therefore also means an all out attack on democratic rights, attacks on trade union structures, increased repression and in many countries outright conflict between the working class and the armed bodies which defend the state.

"Their' industry

In this coming conflict the bankrupt policies of those who refuse to defend the working class must be rejected.

Communist Parties in every country defend import controls to protect 'their' industry.

Social democrats throughout the international workers' movement conspire to protect capitalists against the strikes and resistance of workers-even forming direct coalitions with the parties of the ruling class.

Each and every gain that the working class has made through struggle is now at risk. Leaders who support coalitions and social contracts or who oppose them merely by protest will lead the working class straight to defeat. They must be rejected.

It is only Trotskyists who through the Transitional Programme stand unreservedly for the defence of all jobs and conditions of the working class against capital and for the building of parties in every country to lead the working class to power who have a programme and the leadership to offer the working class. To Gordon McLennan, Party of Great Britain, General Secretary, Con munist King Street, London.

Dear comrade McLennan, As you are aware, the strike by Transport and General Workers Union members in Garners Steak Houses is now in its seventh month.

The issues and principles involved are well known: the reinstatement of the sacked union members and recognition of their union.

The outcome of the strike will have considerable implications for the unionisation of catering workers in general, and beyond that to the low-paid sections of the working class.

Similarly, since the strikers are largely Asians and other immigrants, their victory would deal a heavy blow against racists and racialism.

Crucial period

Since, in our view, the strike is entering a particularly crucial period, amidst speculation in the employers' press about "deals" and other sell-out proposals, we wish to raise the question of your organisation's attitude to and involvement in this struggle.

We regard the political differences which divide us as unbridgeable. Nevertheless, on questions of the defence of basic democratic rights, we stand for the maximum unity between all forces within the labour movement.

In practice You have from time to time issued material stating the importance of support for the Garners' struggle. It is our view, that in practice you have neither mobilised - your membership within the TGWU or outside on that basis. To support this we make the following points.

At an early stage of the dispute, policies were adopted by the strike committee of primary and secondary blacking, regular and mass picketing, and a demand for a union levy to be organised by the TGWU throughout Region 1.

A successful carrying out of these policies and a commitment of even a fraction of the Region's massive membership to mobilise in their support would make victory certain. Yet, though the strikers have fought consistently through the union at every level from branch, through trade groups to the Regional Committee, and Cont'd back page, col. 1.

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Shah shaken Pag While we do not agree with

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strike Cuba. MEN LINK HANDS ..OOPS!