Jan 22: start all-out action in public sector
Socialist Press1979 1979-01-03Read it in the scan (PDF), scan page 12 →
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for the Workers Socialist League, 31, Dartmouth Park Hill, London NW5 1HR. .td., London. Registered at the Post Office as a newspaper. imposition of military • rule under the guise of "saving democracy"
The Turkish parliament, with insignificant opposition from Ecevit's own party, last week overwhelmingly accepted the motion for martial law in 13 provinces.
The right wing parties-and especially the fascists-were enthusiastically in favour. They had for weeks been demanding military rule.
Now they are demanding the resignation of Ecevit's government and establishment of an "independent" government.
The move to martial law was triggered by a fascist uprising in the Eastern city of Kahraman Maras in which 120 people were massacred.
Fascist gangs
The uprising began as thousands of fascists attackec the funeral of two left wing teachers they had murdered the previous day.
in the riots that followed fascist gangs roamed suburbs populated by Kurds and Alevics la religious minority grouping). Entire families were killed indiscriminately and houses burned.
Individuals were sadistically tortured and then hanged by the fascists. The scene was reminiscent of Franco's massacres in Spain.
11 of the 13 provinces now covered by martial law are within the so-called "devil's triangle" in which the fascists have concentrated their recent terror campaign-particularly against the Kurds who have been encouraged by the mass struggles in Iran.
In Western Turkey also the fascists have been pressing their and youth. Last year alone Published by Folrose Lt Printed by Anvil Printers Over 1½ million public sector workers in NUPE, TGWU, GMWU and COHSE are to stage a one-day national strike and lobby of Parliament on 22 January.
The strike, called by the Executive Committees of the four unions in pursuit of the £60 minimum wage claim is to be followed by selective industrial action throughout the various sections, ranging from all out strikes to working to rule and overtime bans.
Workers must answer this CUTS call in the strongest possible way, extending it to widespread indefinite strike action and pledging no return to work after the 22 January until the claim for a £60 minimum basic wage and 35-hour week are met in full.
The anger and determination of local authority health, sewage and water workers on the question of wages is now reaching a high point.
Virtually the only place where Phase 4 still exists is in ine pubit sector, and mese workers are determined not to fall even further behind.
It is a fear of losing control of this militancy rather than a determination to win the full claim for the membership, that has forced Fisher, Basnett and Co. to announce the action starting on 22 January.
Fisher was in a position to bring the whole of NUPE out alongside the striking Ford workers from 1 November, the first settlement date in public sector.
Instead he has hedged and delayed amidst clouds of left rhetoric announcing these measures at the last possible minute in an attempt to preserve his militant image for future betrayals of his membership.
Workers from all four unions must sweep aside the treacherous delays and timid, half-hearted proposals of their leadership, embarking on all-out strike action for the full claim from 22 January.
Fisher, Basnett and Spanswick cannot be trusted to win this claim, least of all with their puny. schemes of selective action' and protest marches.
Public sector workers must take complete control of the strike from the very start to ensure a Tun victory.
Mass meetings should be called immediately in all work places and resolutions of all-out strike action adopted, supported by a 10% levy of the membership in the weeks leading up to the 22 January.
Area and district joint shop stewards committees, joint works committees and individual branches must combine to form local strike committees, to coordinate the collection and distribution of finances on a local level and organise picketing against army scabs.
Steps such as these are already being taken in areas of London and. throughout the country, and it is only these measures, with the union leadership being forced to give full official backing, that will ensure a rapid and complete victory for the strike.
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terror campaign against the workers' movement, students
CAUSE i CASUALTIES