Socialist Press no. 134

Follow haulage drivers The Callaghan-Healey leadership of the Labour Party now hangs like a dead albatross round the neck of the workers movement. are contempt-

HITS

policies uously thrown aside by millions of workers now in struggle over Day: no seressiv •iscreamtec among the 1½ million workers and on by both

TUC

ane Labour Party conferences.

If overthrown, these policies will pave the way to a certain deeat or the about Party in the coming General Election and the return of a Thatcher covernment woes threatening vicious attacks on trade union rights.

Closeted Yet Monday, while 70.000 lorrv drivers dua in for their third week of strike action, 1½ million public worKers Lane d massive 60,000 strong demon- march on stration formed up to UnC Mouses randment demanding an end to poverty wages in the public sector,

TUC

found were •LO once more with CioseTed Callaghan. The talks that took place nowever. oint more to wretchedness the leaders to possible any salvage operation to restore une authority of this government.

The succession of retreats and defeats it has suffered on tne imposition ot rnase 4 nas escalated rapidly. Collapsed Last week alone, in a desper Le eTort to neao oTt ine orov militancy the public Ina sector workers, and to ease the way for a settlement of the road Haulage strike. Ene government collapsed on three major fronts: *Callaghan declared that the 5% limit would be waived in the case of paid workers on week-and Than replaced by £3.50 (8%) minimum increase. AS tnis concession talled the National Water Council offered water workers a 14% pay deal *And, as industry began to grind to a halt, Prices Secretary Hattersley conceaca tnar noad Haullers Association employers would enalised for the full TGWU claim to Pay wild concessions have but these not stemmed the flood of wages militancy-and millions Inove workers are walting on the out- come of the present struggles

SOCIALIST

PRESS

Weekly paper of the Workers Socialist League * No. 134 * January 24, 1979 * 15p

FINISH OFF

CALLAGHAN.

TRT

First wave on the high tide of wages struggle-the Ford strike before their claims fall due. all the indefinites hiker teen Nor can the

TUC

leaders their £60/35 hour feel confident that they claim in place of Fisher's bank Call control this growing movement.

"selective' rUDi plan tOr regional stoppages) the whether it be the unotticial battle gance di poweriki, the Tines are for ar dvl ma or gence powerful unofficial industrial and political battles.

sunke committees in the orr drivers' i Strike ancestor the unofficial Conference walk-out by The Callaghan cabinet has workers. • retusal ambulance crews to man a free again clearly shown time emergency service for hospital Itselt to stand on the employers side of the barricades management. acain ano the working class is showing its independent strength Ine remnants or rnase 4 win a decent standard of living enoing to orusn aside Inose to public sector leaders that try workers and every stand in its way. section or une trade union mov ment must cemane that tract Tory support union leaders and 'left-wing Labour MPs launch an immed This situation frightens the late campaign for une removal oT WiTs out oT Ine ories. ne last ine caraonan-healev eadershio thing Thatcher's reactionary An Emergency Labour Party of NAFF-style union Conference Co dispose of these ricot wind busters wish _contront is a working class Loal wave traitors and adopt a programme militancy on their election to of socialist policies on which to office. fight the General Election.

anis is why natcher, tor all her rabble-rousing, has steered Power well clear of any calls Callaghan - resion instead But there should be n offering full Tory support for on the willingness of reliance any anti-union legislation intro- such reluctant leaders to fight.

duced by The Labours scao caoinet haulage

SLIT KE

while the Tory press and mass already nas demonstrater media bulge bursting point with working class conduct anti-unior probacanda designed to whip own struggles: the emergenc the middle class into a frenzy.

or local strike committees whic As sections of public sector have controlled the passage have coleted suple arenat workers continue to clamour tor lines points picket the way forward for other sections of workers in strucale Any attempt union officials to wind up or bureau cratically com- mittees must be rejected; and in fighting for all-out action on their pay claim, public sector workers must also elect.com. mittees to control the provision of emergency cover-subject to Ine concition that trooos are kept out of this dispute.

These committee. snoule also take the initiative to invite delegates from local stewards committees, UnIOn or anenes and working class parties to join with •olitical them forming councils action to organise mass picket- me ana mme supervision or emer gency services and supplies.

Those 'left' Labour MPs who be cated upone Ca strikers and called upon by strikers and trade unionists to assist the fight for such councils of action, and take uo ine demanes raised by them. Those 'lefts' that refuse to take up such a fight effectivelv line up in support of Callaghan and must bear equal responsib lity for opening the door to the return or a orv government.

The crying need in this situation is the construction of a principled, revolutionar leadership in the working class- a task the Workers Socialist League has set itself.

INSIDE:

IMG moves to discuss history Page 9 Teamster gangster leaders •pp.6-7 CACTL under attack.. • p.8 Scab kills picket: call a national strike! Amid one of the ines against such attacks, frenzied and last week saw GWU leaders most co- retreat under pressure, ordinated witch-hunts the point of issuing the now ever conducted by the "code of practice tamous British press and mass through Regional offices.

media, 28-year old Bob represents an attempt by TGWU officials Watson was run down to impose conditions and and killed last Friday by limitations on strike a scab lorry driver who mittees which until have refused to stop at an now run une strike with an Aberdeen picket line. extraordinary efficiency and discipline. Two days earlier a mob But the impact of this of Cadbury's workers step lies more in the fact Bourneville factory in Bir- that it tacitly concedes that mingham had been worked "problem" to picketing is a into hysterical and provisions contained in the "tackled" than violent attack on a peace- ful picket of striking lorry- code itself. drivers-to loud applause The death of Bob Watson from press and tne and the attack on the picket employers. line Bourneville are The gutter press coverage matters of concern to the of the present round union move- CLIe trade disputes, and pay

TGWU,

ment and the in particular its onslaught on particular. picketing has been calcul- The TGWU leadership ated to provoke outbursts like this must be pressed to call a from the most reactionary and confused national strike of its entire layers of the working class membership protest against the killing and to and, most especially from the middle class. make it absolutely clear that control of the movement of But rather than take the supplies for the duration of obvious step of defending the drivers' lorry strike and strengthening the picket remains in the hands of the strike committees in each alca Meanwhile the fact that the Road Haulage Associa- tion continues to refuse to concede the TGWU demand for £65/35 hour week highlights the criminal exploitation of haulage rivers by these cut-throat cowboy firms. The

TGWU

be must forced to take up a serious fight to force the national- isation of these firms, with- out compensation under workers' as Walachel part of a planned national Strike official Kitson ised transport system.

ITALIAN STALINISTS

Page 2

- INTERNATIONAL -

WOBBLE ON -

TIGHTROPE

Italy's paper-thin along the wire to Andreotti they will of and Cabinet veneer political not grasp it. stability threatens to They will not give him in the face of tear the ministerial positions he irreconcilable class con- wants. tradictions beneath the Caught in this way between his disillusioned surtace. base and a less than com- The most acute source of piclery graleluı runng class conflict the growing to whom he gives essential struggle wages, now OvAT support, Berlinguer has once erupting as new three year again started making noises wage contracts fall due for about leaving. the parlia- renegotiation for 10 million and úcla y HidOliLy workers throughout Italian returning to parliamentary HIuuStIV

ODDOSILIOR.

Most workers recelve This is, course protection trom some necessary part of the myth inflation (now 12% a year) Berlinguer has from the limited sliding build up that his support for scale which Italian capital- the Tories is "con- Italan ists tried unsuccessfully to ditional". abolish last year. If the CP really went into situation The dire of that would

ODDOSILIO

Italian capital is illustrated almost certainly precipitate calculations by by

ICCCI

earv venera elecuions. the ex-Governor the The opinion polis at Bank of Italy that the rate present suggest that the of on industrial retul Christian Democrats would ]nves menıs „ae o o large the compared with a 16% effec- lilane sallis expense of the CP tive interest rate. This situation has led to decline a severe m mols trial investment. order prevent unemployment from rising even uruner enan is oresenı 1½ the lever minon , government running sigantic deficit equal to 16% of the National Product. Decline in demand The only apparently invasion healthy aspect oi the economy is the balance of payments surplus-but that is largely the result of the decline in the demand for by the As the Vietnamese

IL DOLS

Camsed siump in investment and Stalinists consolidate their real wages invasion of Kampuchea As part of a proposed 3- (Cambodia), the rivalries year "economic recovery within the camp of world programme", the minoritv Stalinism have flared Christian Democratic up government is now trying to with a new intensity. prevent from SuDDOrting wolkers getting any toppled coverrmer: •Pn PA' wase or reductions hours in are concuctino rez ovar action in the mountainous west, beyond the continuation of with their backs Thai the the partial sliding scale.

border The working class has As Vietnamese troops were other ideas, which are most pulled out of Kampong Som to clearly reflected in the claim e ceoioveo iniano ano turnei lodged by engineering along coast, the Khmer the the unions for a £20 Rouge moved in recapture wage increase and a cut in une dort. But their occupation lasted hours to 36 without loss of a few days, and effective only pay. military resistance This claim tule has incurred #vasion now seems nave the public hostility not only been broken in all but a few of the government but also solateo areas of its main prop, the CP.

Second liberation' CP leader, Enrico Berlinguer, now furthe out along his political tight- The workers and peasants of rope than ever and showing Kampuchea now face a second signs of slipping. 'liberation' under the •Stalinıst puppet government of the Kam- His slavish for support the Christian vucnean United rTONL nght-wing National Salvation. Democratic government has The forms ; of restriction and lessened the now evidentiy suppression will be forced they CP's control oi its aTaue to endure at une nanos ot tel unions, whose new bureaucratic masters bureaucratic Hanoi from those leaders are finding it impos- sible to restrain their own they suttered trom the orin ve viaoists or ine Komer houde tank and tie and wno are But the content of political rapidly mem ders Ic will remain the same. oppression the autonomous unions. Yet laltt Yet the same time Kampuchean •masses snot Berlinguer finds that itself a question of any however pleadingly tance the Stalinist leaders, stretches out his hands let alone to the imperialists.

spite of this both •ardes seemanxous m tue current crisis to avoid elec- tions, probably because they would give expanded opportunity for the expression of mass hos- tility to the pro-capitalist austerity policies of the CP/Christian undeclared Democrat calition. The safest prediction at present is still that the agreement between the two largest political parties will once again be patched up in the interests of avoiding the threatened complete break- down of social stability.

present time it is At the not only the growth in the which want

L UR2IC

undermining the "historic compromise" but also of sudden new outburst terorist actions from the with retaliation from isill the left, and the new pros- pect ot an open struggle on the issue of abortion. Last year open fight an on uns pisine queson Bureaucrats fall out over Kampuchea For misery and poverty, starvattor ano seatl weigh nothing against the bureaucratic self-interest of the one, or the pronts or the orfer res ot conitieo ano wei bred indignation have from lips of the imperialists.

DUT

tarle ane ns reed have wisely elected to keep their attenti ons have not been Too botar.y rece:veo Inane recent past The move by the Romanian Dureaucracy солоет. ane invasion did not represent any sudden turn to proietarian inter- dieharc natondiism Enese Stalinists Their concern was not w.th ine democralic fents Ine Kampuchean neonle and above all it was not with the struggie for socialist revolution.

Pol Pot, fall of Ine Ceaucescu and his clique saw an example or the tate that couid befall national bureaucracy which fell out of step with more Donertal netcnoours InE Kremiin boc The implications IComanian leaders. not lost on the driven into who hava oper increasing with the other members of Comecon and ine warsaw ract Ceaucescu's example was followed by Tito's Stalinist bureaucracy in Yugo- slavia. Their po Dyl inte reeiee en backed regime North Korea, where the bureau has cracy attempted to tar the conflict between Peking and Moscow.

Such open disagreements can only the delight of the Berlinguer avoided proposed complete liberalis- bv a narla. deal between the mentary ation of the abortion law.

CP and the Christian Demo- While the major parties crats for a new law which of the 'historic collolo granted extremely limited mise' want celalniy rights to legal abortions.

avoid a general election they may before long be forced Neither of the main call one simply to fore- stall parties wants to revive the the WOlst issue. prospect of a referendum on But the small petty- aDOrLiOn bourgeois Radical Party are Either Italy's way, half collect the atmosphere pullud million signatures needed to becoming rapidly more have a referendum on their explosive. Kampuchean enso! Sihanouk with Andrew Young imperialists as they seek assistance for Kampuchean of apar! Ine soldarily etudee degenerated workers' states.

But the Thai government has But this latest development stepped sefinitely short too much Rouge to have proved Khme sterls nal ouT the

TOT

banlan •alinISTs miltary opposition to the new coming so soon after they had regime. discovered' that both the Soviet Stifle war ane the eserercc cc were counter-revolutionary Not noted for his reticence, Its aim has been to forge closer links with the Chinese Acan lar Teno pl enve has preserved a discreet silence partly for trading burcdulaey this time round purposes, out aso to stitie the the same time as guerrilia within Thailand war supported Vietnamese inasion has that and ha: been revealed yet again the tensions by Pekina in the bast national sections The Chinese Stalinists may wclwce well feel that the loss of a poor, internasonal statnism also produced further shifts in unstable and embarrassing ally political alignment in eastern pay in its search for Asid oriceTu The capitalist government of intimate alliances with the reac Thailand has attacked Vietnam.

tonary oro-imseriast realmes ese aggression, . and provided of south-east Asia. SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 24 January, 1979

LYNCH

LAW:

MURRAY

APPEAL

THROWN

OUT

Marie Murray, convic- ted with her husband Noel of the non-capital Garda murder of Michael Reynolds and at present serving a life sentence has at last had her appeal heard at the of Court Criminal Appeal in Dublin. As we outlined in Socialist 124 the press Murrays were the victims of a judiclal trame-up Last Tuesday the Appeal Court not only dismissed Marie's application against but refused her conviction leave the appeal Supreme Court. The appeal, like her trial, was a farce. In two hours flat the Appeal Court confirmed the trial judge's contention that Marie's

WCLIC

tional right had been vio ated or not was irrele vant", unles the violation was conscious and deliberate! Marie had been convicted on the basis of a statement made threats and intimidation. Marie Murray Next door she could hear her husband being tortured.

She claims she was told he would did die Nit s se not sign. The appeal was even in that more farcical the court looked at Marie's alleged statement in which she supposed Io lave claimed that her gun went off while she was trying to free her husband. Ballistic evidence showed that the bullet which killed Garda Reynolds was not fired in the Marie hanel is supposed to have claimed Therefore, appeal was denied. At the appeal Marie was not allowed to speak Even her "counsel" had little to say an Muray member of the family said, he seemed to be there simply to give a legal rubber stamp to the proceedings. Meanwhile, while Marie was in court her husband Noel was the Curragh Military Centre Detention and other he asere prisoners have been 'on the blanket' protesting against prison conditions. Nothing has been heard from them since news of their came just protesi before Christmas (see Socialist Press 130).

RISE AND FALL

OF A TYRANNY

SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 24 January, 1979

- INTERNATIONAL

The following paragraphs their politicians

WIO

owe show how one of the most position to him remain. be repressive dictators struggie

MUSL NOV

redoubled in Iran to search out modern times gained power and destroy remnant of every -and how he lost it again.

the power not only of the Shah It is a story of conspiracy and his political dependents but and terror of the of the capitalist system which Or Shah unsc usurous mev teoresent. suffering and This historical moment trienos_o1 opening up today courage on which that masses of iran who were torced Sicn Tcdl to live under the tyranny which began in It is a story which exposes in Russia or in 1930 in Spain or nature of both in April 1974 in Portugal.

the treacherous imperialism and Stalinism A closer parallel can be seen It is a story which reveais ine overwhelming strength of mass mas. ovemen struggle while peasants and students at the same time workers_ which overthrew the tyranny of au enenas sas T1e HeCess Ly TOl Selassie Ethiopia revolutionary leadership in the fight for socialism. That Finally it is a story which is sev lut onary usurde foundered through the absence horo vot not over. The Shah's can probably power Tevo utone leode snie and the military dictatorship of never telurt the Derg stepped forward as the massive army still But his vast exists, and secret acnl or counter-evorut. The much bigger struggles police une

NOST

LOSS

OF A

- FRIEND

The fall of the Shah iş an incalculable political and economic loss for imperial- ism. 1963 the Shah's ATTet regime was CA ACTeO UN imperialism and then by the government

VV ISOTI

LaDuul 1904-/0 to take over tne ponce imperialism the role recion policy Wiison's witn- drawal from East of Suez supported by tentausiasucaly the l anoiir letts, was Daseo •r a deal with the Shah that he Britain's take over vould policing role. His troops, for instance, have the liberation intervened against Unoldr

WIUSE

reactionarv ruler was previously under British protection this role, the Telurl Shah has been elven in internal political repression PHOTO: Andrew Wiard, The Shah's tyranny owed its birth and its long life the treachery of partly Stalinism. During the war Stalin conceded Iran the Western 'sphere of influence". *vestern curooe ordered Stalinists Iran support the imperialist stabilisa- or une county Stalin's troops walked out of of the Kurdistan which and Azibiian were then reconquered with much bloodshed by the Shah's imperialist-backed army Owen 1940's During the Communist Party (the Iranian ana sola the arms with whicn to Tudeh Party) and its allies carry Il out GritIsn covernment nas Kure ustan ane zekan serme sold him more tanks than are mass parties with wide popular British possessed by the ke Fred support. believed that the Laboul munislers lI K€ vo d.elts Multev Davo wen anorak uc en woule have won any tree Judd have been especially strong elections taking place at the end exponents of this policy of the war. ordered these parties Carter 1 ne demnsdtn •taril ànc tRe rt ch ano r merz.

The l imperialist re ists openly supported the Shah's stabilisation to demand an oil concession to the USSR or ¿ysanny le name of "Western interests".

same lines the one Ene the fight for the removal of the in iran will only be settled in favour of socialism as a result of Shah the construction of a Trotskyist Only recently there at least one revo utonary dart odsine suser ecen

JEOOTLS

on the strategy permanent large workers cemonsuration revolution and a programme under red banners which threw and transitional off banners and demociatie Testous dAmAnds nrevante‹ knomeinı supporters Transitional Programme. Those from shouting their slogans.

that today profess to lead Iran's not show that •ucl evcils maccoc-ine isamle Tele ou. oranisee Tavauuiondry leaders bourgeois leadership exists but that The National Front-are the enemies for to be built potential •i sopalisanr exISIS The burning ouestion socialism or counter-revolution in Iran today will be decided in The spontaneous revolution- a struggle against actions Iran's unese antl masse! leaders-a struggle which have in back ed By which will be fought out within by destroyed a tyranny what has already become one ot mearv every power in une wore the largest mass political move- must now be directed towards ments in history. the bulding of conscious, turbulent the disciplined socialist party which Alreddy events of the last year sections can lead the fight of the masses of the have its mass movement prevent what will otherwise be s•ontaneous v tesisted religious and bourgeois leaders the inevitable counter-revolu- when they have compromised in

STALINISM AND THE SHAH

propaganda began granted to the capitalists.

support him, a line only ambig- Such a policy lost much o1 the party's mass support and uously abandoned a tew days into hands of the before the Shah's departure Tudeh Party Mossadeq nationalists 1976 the in 19bs It ended up dy tail TOгCвt TO Close _ cow sk ending these nationalists, even opposition radio station though Mossadeq had declared Bulgaria when the bureaucracy signed a trade deal Ine barty ut.al with the Shah. Durine the dictatorsnip ine Tudeh has been the victim of Chinese Stalinists have severe repression. been verbally even more slavish in their support of the Shah.

anything except develop an independent Honoured ally proletarian •0S10n Its present position is for a The position of the iranian collaborationist alliance class them masses sudde w tt me votona roo o le hesitate Islamic leaders. honoured ally against Moscow.

the 1960s it even tried to 1975 Mao Tse-tung feted form allancE alte a tormel Tint atans Sisten ASara head of SAVAK who had fallen Peking out with the Shah! And in his recent world tour 1960s the USSR, in Chairman Hua Kud Feng chose tile spite от ne an cover one o „ran an ine most

OT INE

mas the Shah's policies, began to agitation against the Shah, develop new alliance with the one of his only three stopping dictatorship. olaces in these circumstances it l: The Kremlin sold arms to not surprising that none of the the Shah and bought natural gas Stalinist parties-pro-Moscow ol pro-Peking-have yet managed Trom nim

MACAY

His Road to Power Brezhney to gain a significant following in the present mass upsurge politically most conscious of the Iranian masses their historically treacherous role and will now br searchine tor dn artermarve.

Page 3 1905-11 "Constitutional Revolution' national bourgeoisje attempt to senane th phe rafar denasiy.

Shah-of oynasly many upheavals ends in ATTe E failure. After the effective coldose or cential covernmen in the aftermath of the imperial- ist war and the Russian Revolu- ton ata ne encouradement o the British imperialist govern- ment of Lloyd George , a gluur stadec military coup and restored central authority. These officers beet trainea Imperial Russian cossacks; their leader was Reza Khan 1925 deposes the Lalar avnastv ano deciares nim self Shah (King) founding the *Pahlavi dynasty 1941 Reza Shah,

VETU

supported hitler, • was , ceoosed joint occupation of Iran b!

the British and Soviet armies counter -revoru. deal dividing up the lutlary post-war world between imper- TamsT ane oralmisı sonere. iniiuence "awards" Iran 90%- 10% to the imperialists Reza Shah's sor 1949-46 restorel imperlalists throne constitutiona monarch To placate USA, the Union withdraws Sovie suooort trom toe kurdestan ang Azibijan republics set up under Soviet protection Gurina The war. They collapse and the new Shah and his government restore central control 1951-53. The bourgeois Front government lec matind by Dr. Mosadeq tries to take action against imperialist interests ano comes into contad with the Shah an imperialist Shat puppet. goes With exile the help temmoordy ot ine ula and ine Iranlan army leaders he seizes power in 26-year begins the avlanmy 1963. Popular opposition to the Shah's regime leads to a closer agreement with British and Us imperialism and chanet Very limited social dema- instituted, Teoris alg "White gogically called Revolution" The aparatus of mhe oonce state is strenotnenec ind lon conne edi nortrc political military gerence oT me alisil Middle East and beyond. 1977-79. After 14 years of ever bloodthirsty police state nev scs of opsiton workers, intellectuals and Islamic leaders followed from 1978 January mounting STreeT •amonsiration. an( This unstoppable mass movement forces the Shah into exile.

GARNERS: A YEAR OF

Page.4 PHOTO: Andrew Wiard. Report Margolis When Maois trade union members, Banever That would be over in a couple of weeks. Why should he think other wise? He how servile KnAw

TGWU

Catering officer Abrahams had been in negotia- tions throughout 1977; and he had George Ward's example in front of him So threw ACAS out, threw the union

OUT

declared war on the pickets.

the next five months Margolis maintaned Stony silence. retusino to reter to the strike even in internal company bulletins. However curing the summe the effect picketing was having on trade was reflected in grow- Police charge at Garners pickets

THE CAPITALIST

ing scab violence (which culmin- have intedts secon armed assaults made against the ated

•PSA

pickets throughout July and dary blacking. George Ward's Tory MP, August). Gorst, has At this point Margolis tried intervened in rontament another tactic. And a leading part has beer Aware of the miserable support given to the the Telegraph and played by

TGWU

he Sincers Exoress approached them All this points to the heavy • tor negotia- tions to end a dispute which was involvement of the right wing of the Tory party and NAFF tion as much as his profits.

If Margolis car rev on int But in accepting and recom- help of NAFF, other employers, always OT 16 jobs he nichofe ano une recog- hack and a Tor been sensitive TаC1 nition at future date, leadership of the TGWU are as keen to kill this strike as he reckoned without the inoebendent strenoun Ine strike committee Much to frustration of Margolis and Regional organiser •norter ine Strikers rejected this monstrous sell out of and reaffirmed their policy return

WOTK

recognition and reinstatement negotiations must nave continued nowever because at the end of November Margolis suddenly declared that breaking

•OTT

with the union. strength internal scab ballet which weat not surorisinov, adainst une union he embarked on a Decem- ber offensive desperate kill the strike *re mecitates cao attack.

were organised it line. physically smash the picket At the same time Margolis opened up a nress witch huint to brassurise the TGWU to call the strike off.

His latest attempt to kill the strike nas had the hallmarks o Shorter

NAFF.

The union officials moment George -rom Abrahams pulled workers out on strike and then went on holiday for two weeks it ha been clear That the leadership had no intention of of mobilising to win the members strike. After six weeks on strike the it couldn't Region realised that win without a scale mon but promptly offered Margolis a off the strike abdi return secono Margolis who had already OUTi one temptuously dismissed thi treacherous compromise as yet a indication of the weak- ness ot Ine union At this critical point, now. strike committee ever, was elected at a mass meeting of the strikers Regional levy The new committee immed introduced of ¡ately policies which would win the 1) A Regional Levy, to raise £36 a week strike pay. 2) Delegations from the members to Region's man picket lines ail week, mass pickets every Saturday: 3) Secondart bracking: No work witnout union recoonition ane reinstatement. The crucial development of a politically conscious leadersnip, nas keet inis strike alive. But it was seen as a threat by the TGWU bureaucracy their

TITS

onast struggle against this new leader- ship Regional saw anc Nicholson move in to block all attempts by the strike commit- their policies let supported in the TGWU Refused to print cical levels. furk to hole farcical levels. whole period Aoranams on strike the policies Nicholson bulletins and even olockee an attemot to circulate the 1,600 branches within Region 1 with a letter calling for suoDort tor ine strike commit tee's policies Garners support i ne

LVVU

conterences were turnine points in the relationship between the bureaucracy and the strikers.

Les necional oreanisel Shorter was howled over 200 delegates at the second conference when he denounced mass ocketine ano claimed loa one picket at each restaurant was sufficient it became unet imperative that the Region kill this troublesome strike as soon as bossible Shorter Under and newly appointed Regional Secretary , they combined a series Staden. negotiations with secret Margolis with attempts destroy strike inde committee gencence ey COntrOl OI all finance and picketing.

Failed Shorter and Staden failed ir their attempt to foist a sell-out on the strike committee. But on finance thev refusec to discuss the possibility of a Regional Levy-falsely claiming that it was dodinst toe rues.

SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 24 January, 1979

SABOTAGE

The Garners strike is a old -but nobody will year be celebrating. strike is not a A year on time to celebrate but to look back, draw a balance sheet of examine Torce involved the lessons ot a year in struggle sharpen the political as weapons taken into the struggle in the weeks ahead The Stalinists Staden's treachery implicates more people than the Region 1 PHOTO: Andrew Wiard Committee. Party, CommunIs which months took ambivalent attitude towards the individuals on the picket line and occasional supporting articies in new daoer, have beer thrown into disarray by the fact : the person to destroy this strik! danderous precedents for futur struggles is one of their own Ron Todd members, Sid Staden. Shorter did, reluctantly lo answer criticisms levelled promise a series of factory tours at them over Staden's treachery CP the have had to raise money but inest and at ali times cosmetic o strikers accompanied by We have seen CP secretary McLennan and National Organ.

Abrahams, recional inciso with all • on the picket line or money Going TIrSt TO iser cooK regional treasurer Westbrook.

Christmas Day and a brief guest weeks ago of appearance two Loans Party chairman McGahey But far from sealing off thi The strikers discovered to strike from their members, these their amazement Ina

IWO

token gestures are leading them £10 handouts by the turthel InTO we• soun ov top of their pitiful Region ion one of their own members.

per The GLATC-called mass week strike Day! welt actually loans. December 8 saw C _•скеї ол Money sent to Region 1 for member burkin arrested being seventh on a picket the strike was colno straient inte Westbrook's coffers and being line strike withheld from the of contrao clor leading Stalinist being arrested committee at tne oiscretion o the Region. through the treachery of fellow This procedure also applied open chance not only of exposing CF to a tz vu contribution trom the GEC. but also of class collaboration a result, for ten months cemanding increased from both the leadership and the law dave the strike com mittee a miserly £6 per week, the membership of the CP itself.

only recently raised to £12 picketing The has vexen. tne mittee since the beginning of the strike; they have strikers isolated and vulnerable to scab violence. In twelve months on strike been one dele- there nas not 02TOr oreensee Regional leadership on the picket lines! This has been compounded betrayal most far-reaching of all-when Staden actuall reached an agreement with the police to limit picket line numbers to six. This is the clearest indication that stacen forces teto the picket ine.

intention mobilising Guest picket MeGahey

OUR ROLE-

taneously break from reform- Workers enter into struggle ism. They need to be convinced in order of an alternative programme and standards-not order a perspective to win become revolutionaries. Such a break must be fought As Grunwick and Sandersons shown revolutionaries donesiot have however, unless practical work to strengthen and such a political development is sustain the day to day struggles made, the strike will be forever ot the working class tied the oureaucracy we believe the role ot ini whether that be "left" or right winthese strikes show the unions picket that Socialist Press, beel ine Context oT capitalism ir crucial to tne development or e alise the mobiling this ince principled leadership not simply able forces mobilising in the Garners struggle but il neededto win tne democrati labour movement right of union recognition.

But however great the treachery workets do not soor

Fisher grabs 'Militant' SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 24 January, 1979 lifeline the One of most accomplished, arm- in the labour wavers

NUPE

movement leader Alan Fisher. His heart-rending oratory against the evils of low pay at the Labour Party confer- drew tumultuous ence applause from all sides. But since these flights of rhetoric last October Fisher fellow bureaucrats and his of the the public sector manuai unions have been conspicuous by their silence. November The review date for over million public employees came and went without any call action-despite the fact that a powerful lead had come from the Ford strike. Vague talk Instead there was vague talk of raising a cash levy to finance individual NUPE sections in "selective" strike action. The low-paid bakers were called out on strike, demanding 26% increases: Fisher, the man who played such a key role in isolating last year's strike, firemens again sat tight. Even provincial journal- to halt industrial strength production their news- OI papers-went out in pursuit of their £20 claim. Still no action from Fisher and Co.

-who merely called a single 'Day of Action' for January 22 phe New Year brought a flurry and haulage drivers, ana on brush kall But the NUPE Executive at its January meeting even 22 making January Day of a national strike Action, and decided meet again until to 1OL February! 30 Seven years ago on January, 1972 a Civil Rights demonstration of approx- imately 20,000 people marched from the Catholic Creggan estate towards the centre of Derry. The march was banned from the city centre and was stopped the outskirts the Bogside. When a minor riot developed the troops, the Parachute Regiment, responded not with c$ usual rubber bullets and the gas but with real bullets.

They killed unarmed civilians, including children and de men-most snot in the bacr as they fled It was a brazen and premed- Tory government to intimidate the Catholic working class off une street But the was Tine All over Ireland the out- Catholic community was 1 nere strike in Derry and a one day strike all over the North. downed tools and demonstrated in Dundalk, Cork, Galway, Limerick and in the British

FIGHT E

FIGHT

THE CATS

FIGHT

FIG

THE CINS I1

FIGHT

JOBS

SAVEN

THEI

THE CUTS

SP

SAVE

Fisher had all this time

OBS

talked of nothing more than the token Day of Action 'guerrilla strikes, to be carried out at half-cock. while the majority of the public sector's 1.4 million workers continued working normally. Placards-but no fight against the cuts from NUPE leaders Despite inaction, pressure was growing within demonstration. the opposes the ranks of NUPE-branch then along But all-out strike strategy of Militant, "Marxist" resolutions were coming in Labour's self- action: calling for indefinite styled paper Executive Council "The action from January 22, an which has so often come to of NUPE has called on all unofficial walk-out by water the of the soiled its members to support the the of Labour Party took place in Day of Action on January Manchester area, and "lefts' and TUC fakers. 22 and to take part in by Seeking opportunist was Lanci. selected industrial action London ambulancemen to among public gains sector from that date". Militant offered emergency workers, wilnaraw even action Such selective cover on that day Fisher its front page to say makes military scabbing on Fisher's 'left' credibility he wanted, the strike a virtual certainty was in danger of cracking.

fear of criticism. and minimises the chance or His line and that Fisher, remem bering how oI n1s victory. on the notorious November fellow public sector bureau- He goes on to avoid any crats was emerging as far to 17, 1976 Day of Action of how Militant examinalion the right of his membership.

against cuts, that workers that he claims provided him The possibility had with a represent sections of workers breaking similar opportunity to he receiving what terms himself from their "poverty line wages which Fisher's verbal "militancy" defender of the social have plunged our members gratefully the very on services, was growing, into a nightmare struggle to the chance. of what threatened eve Weeter their heads above clearly Keee be an enormous January 22 His article Pay sell-out

CROYDON

the existing Certainly wage levels in the public

NOR

WEST

sector are low: but a major share of the blame for this PHOTO: Laurence Sparham, IFL must rest on successive sell- out pay deals hatched year after year by. Fisher and his fellow bureaucrats ever Fisher's betrayal of SuCe

PRESS

Militant Group-platform for opportunists

GANG

BLOODY SUNDAY

MARCH

that On the same day Robert Aberdeen picket Watson died under the Sunday" with a march starting wheels of a scab lorry, at speakers Corner, Marie Arch at 2.30 p.m BBC's PM programme con- This demonstration takes ducted an interview with year Diace In the of the the chairman anniversary of British military intervention in the employers' six counties association which he urged the 'public' countes republican and socialist to attack picket lines with been PHOTO: Derek Speirs, IFL umbrellas and handbags. tortured, imprisoned, Hollow, Sunday Telegraph beaten ano murdered In solidarity with carried a front page picture of a The antl- imperialist that has woman "Death secondary continued in reland since that salu contingent «ate ot yorkers oickets'

VOST

Ine autter Socialist League members and press have also carried favour- this march, supporters will join able reports of attacks on picket Tinolen #nes It is becoming clear that the ments with the programme and of Provisional Sinn preparing-should press weight else fail-to throw theil We urge Socialist Press behind bands of fascists and readers to join the march behind petty bourgeois supporters and Butcher Mason direct physical attacks on picket *Restore PoW status to line the press is the whip which Embassy was burned down by a prisoners. Support the 30,000 crowd political drives on the Tory wagons.

Half daliant blanket protests in Long Week Satel march Newry drew 60,000 people. Kesh and Armagh jail! EneIT Daces resoune Cols And new forces fil ter *Support the war of libera- for the weight of the law to be began Self determina- used against strikers-the others tion in Ireland. to tae rovisional ina wao sound of tor alors inade nate politica Tion Tor tne InSh deo die.

programme, *Troops out now! An cas trau knes ou raoression amnesty for political prisoners whether legal or otherwise against British imperialism.

In running on ahead of their coming

OUT

Mason Provisional Sinn Fein will mark and the Callaghan cabinet! For ornasters une corters orter an Irish workers' republic!

make themselves look ridicul- Bloody

LABOUB

PARTY

hospital ancillary the workers' the strike unacl Heath government. Fisher concludes on pointing out 'left' note by that: "The battle to beat the 5% guidelines and win a £60 of minimum wage is part general struggle of the the build a whole movement to socialist society' But like the tame "Marxists" of the Militant Fisher themselves, group refuses draw out the to of the political public sector pay fight. "whole movement" The is not fighting to beat the or to build a socialist the society: Collidy the entire Callaghan-Healey Benn cabinet-Wedgewood and all-have been fighting might and main to uphold the 5% limit and to prop crisis-ridden British up capitalism at the expense of the working class. these In challenging limits, public sector workers are in effect challenging the Callaghan leadership-a conflict that Fisher and the struggled might and main to avoid fight serious to improve the living standards and jobs of public sector workers and to defend the crum bling social services ous. But they remain a powerful focus for the NAFF leadership of the Tory party. The will change. lartel: Already as talks began between officials and the Road the focus haulade Dosses switched to the one day strike by public sector workers, and in retusals particuldl LITt Indon ambulance criver. raider services Express and Mai headline-No

TOUTE

Lilt Merche task for the press is to conditions the for create decisive shift in the balance of legal Torces-wheine Inroucl repression or fascist pogroms To do that any amount of lies and distortion are justified Last week the Daily Telegraph gave the text of the leaflet they 'Socialist Workers' in transport cafes. The leaflet, clumsy enough ne comic decareo that they should not about the worry prices pensioners and that could alway: went uo mer 'slap in another claim'. The Sunday Telegraph unde a headline 'How Leftist group

TOOK

ConTrO lines complained that the strike had been taken over by the rank and The strike committees "who Page 5 demands campaign to throw out Labour's reac. tionary right wing leaders, building and for the ot a principled, revolutionary workers' leadership in the Novennel. In such a fight the real political positions of the could left talkers be revealed, Fisher, like the Militant group and the Labour 'lefts' refuses to take up any such which campaign without socialist policies in Party Labour are im possible. Agency Nor does he even sketch plan of OUlE action to win public sector workers' immediate demand of a £60 minimum for 35 hour week. His wretched opportun- ism and that of his unpaid advertising the agency, Militant group, must by public sector rejected workers. Instead leadership prepared to mobilise the full strength of the union in the fight and to link up with other sections of workers on strike into coming struggle over must be pay, built in NUPE and among the best elements in the . Labour Party. include members Workers the socialisi party" were accused of such calling mass criminal acts meetinos witnout ine knowieue of the officials and issuing instructions official union One 'official in the north told the Telegraph: "We have no control at all Only today instruction sheets from head office to the and not only did they tear them they

TO O

me stuffed'. The Sunday • Telegraph also Derrick Hornby, •votes • Food Manu oresident ot Ine facturers' Federation, as saying "This strike carefully planned and corenestre months ago. Who by? The SWP.

¡ have no doubts about that.'

Socialist Workers Party (which has little strength The nu tas become sociais linerkers (small letters) on picket violence up against Trotskyists' and Ther equating all pickets with Sunday the Trotskyists, Telegranh and its friends air stoking the flames fascism.

Who are the Teamste Jackie Presser: businessman/burer tage o ONE OF THE unions whose collaboration in the next few months is essential to the preservation of President Carter's wage control policy in the USA is the two-million strong International Brotherhood of Teamsters The Bi nas become an international by-word tor. mobster connections and corruption, and is a classic example of a workers' organisation which has become entirely run by a reactionary, utterly, parasitic, bureaucracy. On these pages we are reprinting two articles from a 1977 issue Tea moters for a Dem of tie union, which fun througition group of opposition grouping two major Teamster heads.

For all their lack of a clear political perspective these articles provide a useful insight into the kind of apparatus to be fought if the US working class is to break from its alliance with the parties of US capital and enter the road of revolutionary struggle in defence of its living standards. nev aso show the lack or any democratic channels throug which the demands of the IBT membership can make themselves felt through the union. strategy of using court actions and writs which the TDU have adooted in their fiaht against the Fitzsimmons aanaland leadership is one which carries enormous dangers for the US labour movement. of both the Democratic and a time when politicians Al Republican parties are simply longing to get their hands on the organisations of the working class and render them totally impotent, any call on the state to intervene in the union's affairs is highly suspect. TDU presidential candidate Pete Camarata has established a the last two years, time and again invoking the murky record over machinery of the US capitalist state to assist his struggle against the union leadership. himself is a man of considerable courage. He has Camarata endured prysical beatings and countless Inreats in nis ignt to ous!

Fitzsimmons. Many of the TDU's several thousand supporters are also militants with the courage to face up to savage threats.

But in fighting such a bureaucracy there is no substitute for the patient, principled mobilisation of the union's membership indepen- dently of the capitalist state, its courts and its police.

•nis tont must diso be comone witn te wont to break Ine union from the two capitalist parties and for the building of a Labour Party based on the trade unions and on a programme of socialist bolicies. A major contender now whopping $12 million at a bar- Fitzsimmons Under was nuted to be the man" jockeying for the top job in to see call intercol lalt the Teamsters is 16th Vice Presser nass stases witn pension une toas. too. In 1953 he and the $400-700 million. that is the law, President Jackie Presser.

John Nardi were convicted of from the reportedly missing Presser is presently spending restant ou trade rune. t is anvoody s cuess now much ended up in the Presser much oT nIs Time nine we dis 1954 an employer • TesTI- support and his local associates fied that he had paid Presser family. are bragging that they will soon $650 per month for labor peace.

Presser may have gotten a moving impatient „trom teve ano Presser serve time for destroy WIth these milder climate ing union records. ways of making profit from our Washington D.C. stealing 'Ill-health' ditu the Jackie nas innerteo nis bos- directv trom treasury. tions, his wealth, and his power 1971 he was indicted for em- In 1971 he pleaded guilty to from his father, William Presser.

bezzling union funds, but Fitz- shaking down employers TOl labor peace, but didn't Groome tor nis dosts from me simmons resorteov _contacted start, Jackie doesn't have an old.

*ill President Nixon have the jail this time because school violence like government weaken his case and nealta But Presser's biggest business let rresser But his record shows he'lt be our union. First he hired his was was continuing the family tradition.

Presser who helped Fitzsimmons he and his sor win control from the impris- ano other relatives are amond Businessman the highest paid union officials oned Jimmy mona ano now 1976 Presser that Fitzsimmons is on the way the world. William Presser began as an mind winning held seven paid Teamster iobs ousinessman. prayers and got $145,541 for them control tor nis own son -Jacit began in dry cleaning and later Presser. never enough salaries • box set duke Tor Aim Enouon-at one bont ne Surprise „cocon n ceveano borrowed from the Then he organised a union- Teamsters Credit Union and but Jackie Presser was brought used Tour autos inar Delonaco to to keep competitors out or nis into the familv "business first the union as collateral! juke business. The union Presser also Hotel and Restaurant pioneered the the Teamsters Local 410 became Workers. Then in 1966 Teamster practice ot severance was given a surprise by his dad- tungs His local Joint CouncI tried to compete with Presser's undo hie reportene sell ince a brand new local. business, his union would put are reportedly well into the muscle on them Loca was coartereo ano six figures. Jackie Presser became Presser secretary-treasurer. Its member- big impact. on the emplovers. Detroit employers asked him to Unlimited expenses from was varous for them other locals and since then most set up a similar racket Teamster Further, Presser has, organising and da sim a casn. He expanded to Cleveland has been directed into accoroine to The Joint councI Youngstown, Ohio 41 bylaws, the right to travel 507. and set up In 1976 local 507 absorbed any time with his Joseon • umett nece anywolicit three Local 377 to handle the racket other locais-Loca 555. wite expense Blumetti suffered members' dues. His expenses Local 545, and Local 752, an all travel, lodging, 'independent" local under Pres- can include but Presse Teceral convicTion. him job later got entertainment ano ser s assistant AndY DuCkarl the eous expenses! Suckart has been convicted o Until 1976 Presser hijacking a truckload of nickel.

Central States Pension Fund.

Pension Fund. 507 now trustee Local over ot ATTer younestown Wal Cincinnati and then Buffalo.

When Presser moved up, he turned Local 410 to his associate John Nardi. Nard worked closely with the Pressers in Joint Council 41 until he was In a mont tor contro ou Cleveland mob. He was the 16 sticks of dyna- blown up by mite JOInT parking lot in May, 1977.

Big businessman William Presser began as an be 'a big employer and grew to 1972, ousinessman. example, he acquired $100,000 of stock in Bally Menu- worth leading slot facturing machine maker conteen mo the Central Stares trusten Central States Pension No messy manual work for Jacky Presser, unlike his members rune. voted loan 9,000 members. Meanwhile, Jackie Presser nas abovested as satner s power and positions. After the 1976 IBT Convention, William Presser resigned as Internat- lona ve to nave jackie steo mn.

He did the same as a Pension Trustee. Six salaries Jackie is still an Internation- al VP. but he had to resign hi: pension post under Labor Dept pressure. He has become head of the Teamsters' propa. cond moone one

ATS

retired program. His six Teamster sala- ries paid him $192,629 in 1976 Presser Is all unusud Teamster in that he is a millior Not only does he hold six antiv than our •oues money the wealth he accumulates through his businesses. the Ohio Con vominatine ference of Teamsters comes in handy for Mr. Presser's enterpri- ses. Presser owns 202.5 shares of Cleveland Commercial Truck Trail and ACto Repair Co. i his smal outtit nas man aged to get three-quarters of a million dollars in business from seamster em Dovers over past five years. Presser's little truck hop has gotten some $100,001 ot business in tive years trom subsidiaries of Leaseway Trans- Cleveland worlalion. Dastu that is the fourth corooration Larest trucking company in the ressernes no contict o interest in this set-up apparent- ly. In fact, he is a business part- Leaseway Vice President, in a Robert liquor company Jackie Presser is also in the restaurant business. or rainer nis wife Carmen Presser is, through ownership of the Dining Towers , and the Forge Restaurant

FFIC

Alain presser tines no contlict of interest here although until last year he was the principal 'taurant Workers Local 10!

Family tradition Another curious thing is that Teamsters Local 507. controlled Presser, over the past five Mestaurant years. Another bartner in it restaurant is Anthony Hughes the recording secretary interest here, it's all in the family tradi- tion.

SUCIALISI PRESS

WANTE

• For missing pension money • Theft of democratic rights • Sweetheart contracts Another one of Jackie Presser's businesses, the Eastgate nuseum needeo a litte nero l the sixties and received the three loans from Pension want total 4//will Jackie's dad a Pension Fund trustee it was probably easy to get. This was a good deal for the but bad for the rant Pressers, file That's becaust ane January 1964 the Pension Fund had foreclosure pro- to bring against the Coliseum tor non-oavment Presser's union affairs and inter- business affairs are So Twined. its nare to sort tem out, even tor Presser nimsert. ir 1973 his accounting firm report- ed to the Labor Department view OT VIr Jackie rresser. many positions in labor unions and labor groups and the effect weanesaay it January, 1yl Hoffa in 1946: he worked FRAnK FiTzsImmons

TEAMSTERS FOR A DEMOCRATIC UNION

other unions ane door roos mak!

it extremely difficult to asse all indirect relationships and d nina une status or each and ever Jackie Presser, millionair businessman, naturally ha business philosophy. Full-page ad The Ohio Conference Teamsters paid $5,000 to run Clevelan, TV -0300 • the Plain Dealer last year to attac the TDU and the rank and file in u. rresser also tole us go along with the philosophy o private business, which is basic have a demandin ally: it you executiv: Wit malc responsibilities, , you should. b rewarded." appropriately An

rs' gangster leaders? SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 24 January, 1979 Crisis in the Teamsters See inside pages 485

CONVOY

Voice Of Teamsters For A' Democratic Union

MEMBERSIP SPLIT HURTS

Lose Close One in Detroit

ELECTION R

ULES CHANGEL

INSIDE

CONVOY

'h gangsters on business deals ucrat * Roy Williams: Kansas "reward i protestor the The only problem membership is. it Presser lives business executive thinks like a business executive; business and • a executive City climber then now can me reoresent against the business executives that employ since Jacke presser asoires represent all 2.3 million eamsters, we should l00k at now InIS ousiness man reore. 'Like sents his Ohio brothers and Frank Hayes and Clevenger were ritzsimmon. Roy Williams was a creation of indicted for sisters. beating up Glenn members Many Local 507 saunders union aissident. right in the union hall. tear tneir own union bA more in 1954 Hotta, then head 01 than they do their boss. These the Central Conference, Jack Henderson, had who BAs include Jack Nardi, son Williams head openly protested that members Citv murdered cans tel vOlI sansas • were unaoe to _soeak at cocai while Orville Ring, President of meetings, was shotgunned Nardi, as well as a couple ol 41| heavies who drawn Local 541 and JC head, was on through an window of his open the ranks of Local 507 home on Aoril 13.1959 sick eave. Rather than returning, Ring Enloe, a forner Local 4f Presi Don Enloe O.B out are rewaroeo tor service In other Cleveland locals. Williams be quit his posts and More

BAS

could be hired, cent. very persuasive. Williams' man, Cecil Bennett, excest inat rresser ano marolo Friedman, the officers, Williams' for Sec. Treas. of Local 41. He top cronies in running draw of a million quarter ne kansas try leamsters were was neate ov wo men shorty before the election. between them Floyd Hayes, who stepped aside cortars just from the local treasúry in' Local At the Bennett wil lams could take car Ernie President victory salaries alone! party. Tomas Hutson. who had tried to challenge Williams' vice- Anderson, who succeeded King Nowhere to be found Sta hey head of Local 541; and presidential candidate but who Clevenger, Hayes' ds of cab driver saw the was disqualitied, was beaten up dreds of drivers ooovouare. outside the union nall With the rise of this quartet yerow can co eliminate ineir to union power City, Embezzlement and replace them with "leasors" and steal their there began a wave of terror to But these methods were not stitle any opposition. pensions Lo DOoL. Emmett Eslinger, a former only used dissident Presser stood by with his pal dualist President 1962 Williams Local 541, opposition. In cab owner Arthur McBride, even vvds Touno witn ais neco crusned ano ano haves were TOr hundreds

HOST

throat slit. Some members had conspiring to embezzle union members. When TDU members been him tunds. Roy got off, but Hayes urging to oppose and other cab drivers organised Anderson. drivers their pensione Presser nowhere to found. was Also

LUCKYS

past vear "driver leasina" sweetnearT arrangement was brought in at

WHY DID YOUGHE

Luckra New Fisher Fazio, Ohio's largest crocery warenouse Лово drivers ThA are not represented by Presser's

OUR HUSBANDS

Local 507, hundreds of inside workers аГР Teamster concluded Some 50 drivers are on the street in this deal and awaiting a nearnesnce Ine Has brought charges against the employer. So there you have the pic- ture or Jackie Fresser who nas followed the family tradition of using our union and our pension tuno as d personar business Ano lois is the man whom the Wall Street Journal reports has the inside track to head our Ene i rial powers of the General Teamsters protest against murder of striker by scab lorry driver President. Hayes decided to turn states evidence to get a reduced sen- tence. Thát meant testifying against Roy Williams. on June 11th, 1964, while leaving bowling alley with wife, riova haves was shorunned to death. His wife was wounded. The killers were never caught.

Stop at nothing Roy recoro

TOI

democracy in the union is told in these stories ot his vantous opponents-a history of unior beaten, bloodied, broken, even blown away. A source crose to tne govern ment's investigation of Kansas City racketeering said of Williams, whol stop at notning When into sna blowing his opponents away, bending the rules to keep in power. Elected for a five-year term President Local 41 decided not to hoic another election until December 1960. almost 7 years later the grounds that the bylaws Stones cumsters a work weren't approved until 1955 1957 Williams returned "giving

MOTTA'S

tavor Kansas City" when he chaired the credentials committee of the 1o conventior inat vear "gave" Hoffa the Presidency of the IBT senate investicators toune according to the union's 56.2% of the dele own records, gates were selected megany, and thas questionable. Ontt4%% legality another 39% Ine _people wn erecteo noTo were legitimately there. 1962 Roy Williams was indicted

IUT

bezze unior

TUNGS

. ne senem€ involved billing various service eTC work supposedly done for the union. The work was either never done o roone Tor oticials der. sonally. not for the union Williams was not convicted be- cause Ene Mall witness dedist him was a convicted thief whose credibility was not believed.

In 1972 Roy Williams was for embezzling $16,148 in union tunes indictment was the work ot a US Justice Dept. Strike Force but Judge John W. clareo ine strike torce nac ne power to operate in Missouri and threw the indictment out.

Positions Williams holds the Rov following IBT positions: Inter- national Vice-President, Inter- Genera halluld Croaniser Chairman of the Freight Divi- Chairman of the Central sion, Conference, Chairman Grievance central fonterence Panel, head of the Missouri Kansas Conference, President of Joint Council 56 ano Prest. dent of Local 41. His salaries totalled $168,000 in 1976 It was Williams responsibility for the negotiation 5. the National Master Freight Agreement anc

UPS

Ene central statec agreement in 1976 And it is Williams who picks the commit- tees and gives the go-ahead or the phoney changes of opera- tions, "relief" from appeals of contract, and changes work rules. It was Carl Yaeger, Williams' Special Assistant, who bargained road away interstate systems dispatch rules last year.

It Williams was and Roy Lane who sold drivers and forced sonnetcer them on percentage The of companie

HUTTENCI

substandard who These Page 7 agreements through the griev- ance procure is growing, ana so is the number of grievances that go down the drain at the

JAC

Chicago And it's Roy Williams who the calls shots. these sweetheart some of deals nave been protitable tor Williams and friends. In Kansas City, union officials Haves cevence Williams took $2,000 from Paul Transportation Byers "hold to

COVIT

Titt once company in negotiations. Hayes admitted arranged $300 monthly payments Pay off Stanley Stanhope, a BA in Williams Local 41. took $1000 from Ideal Truck Lines allowing the company to fire two The company also paid $200 a peace" Ino month toi grievances). When he to jail, the local raised his salary!

nov viams was one or te first Central States Pension Fund Trustees. If the fund has become "the bank of organisec crime. Then men Williams who have made it so A 1971 Labor investi- gation reported that Williams is under The complete domina tion of Nick Civella". Civella is head of the syndicate in Kansa currently in prison on a gambling conviction In 1973 Williams was promo Legal TInO Detense benetit Program to the members Local 41. Williams drafted a Union stationerv which said that if the members interested, the union would try to negotiate a s4 pe employer contribution mon tr to a fund which members to up to $2500 in legal services each vear In reality, , of the $4, $1 was to go to organised crime figures around COUntr and would kickbacks and Pees to UtUl orticlais who promoted ine pro This would involve big gram. money, since it was That oremiums woulo total some million-leaving $50 million to the syndicate and nunery on otticia Williams was AtTAr sent, as word of the scam leaked chorcement . The ouricials interna sevent Service has launched a criminal investigation of Williams in rela.

Never convicted Roy Williams has never been

•ITE

ENCE

mean he hasn't been a crook.

His record in his positions reads His opponents in the local and Joint Council beaten and bumped off. and betweer million missing from the Centra States Pension Fund dollars of Thousands ques money spent or otticials personal cars and homes Negotiation of freight and UPS agreements where member- ship real wages and condi- tons declined nousands ot collars accen ted from employers for special deals and "contract relief" For Roy Williams to become

IBT

General President simply be to continue the status IT woule be ine same oc deal-a rotten one for IBT mem- bers! hitzsimmons

Nursery nurses must child-care facilities! Page 8 join fight for major problem facing the campaign for ment' moral nurseries is the divisions and rivalries between the existing forms of provision. Nursery schools run by education authorities, day 'normal' by social

TUT

children and service departments, private and ballelas although the playgroups and childminding al c from financed and administered separately and differently.

sity of ethnic backgrounds.

inhe pay, conditions training the workers 'problems' involved are also different, as are their trade unions.

One of the demands of and illegitimacy. the London Nursery Campaign, now taken up by closest

NUPE

Under-5's Charter is for an integrated system of training for under-s's workers and particular for the abolition the Nursery Nurses Education Board. Self appointed monious body self- responsible to government depart- ment or Minister. It runs on the money it collects from examinatior fees and controls the syllabus from which nursery nurses, 'girls of good character but low intelligence' are trained in Further Education Colleges.

The London Nursery Campaign, and now NUPE, have severely criticised this syllabus which includes courses with antiquated titles as 'A Study

TUC MOVES TO

PROSCRIBE CACTL

The Against the Trespass Law has issued a call to all bodies to send delegates to its next Co-ordinating on February tee discuss recent moves by the

TUC

to the campaign. CACTL's affiliation includes, ACTT, sections), NUAAW, NUSM-

WCHDE,

SOGAT

West Region union branches stewards committees, trades councis Parties, the LPYS, the NUS, 63 student unions and 45 community, ing organisations. L=. More: The Campaign of Man and his Environ- the full day care that work- ing parents need for under- 5's. over tone expressed in such aims as to They take children from examine the rights and res.

birth, open from 7 a.m. ponsibilities of the individ- provide breakfast pount.s ual ill relation to the home ana tea as well as lunch as the basic unit of society.

make provision for after- •nere is great stress on sleep,

NOON

include ucvelopments laundries and are in some "normal boroughs facility. •a tree family life, During the war they were of widespread, and an essential children in day nurseries are the capitalist war part single parent families effort, allowing mothers of and they come from a diver- small children to work long hours producing profit for The students study such the war-mongers. 'old age, But immediately after mental health, single parents the grants were and the wilderawn Day nurseries provide the majority oi day nurseries approximation were forced to close.

RISTORE A CUTS

and SAVE JUBS BREAK*th the

SOCIAL

CONTRACT

NU PHOTO: Andrew Wiard, Repor Campaign working for Iccenty been regional conferences in each Criminal area publicise the need to for and the occupanons affiliated danger to the whole labour movement of recent moves against the right to picket.

National Commit- Discourage 3 to The TUC however has instructed witchhunt Regional Councils not to cooperate with CACTL as the culmina- tion of concerted attempts list AUEW (all discourage unions from affiliating to the Campaign.

This 'instruction' has

NOTIN

TUC,

150 never been discussed by the

TUC

General ted shop Council nor by its relevant committee.

32 Labour The arguments used vary from place include such things as: that legal and hous- CACTL is an "unofficial" campaign and that the TUC has is worried about the extent They were suddenly to become a merely residual for the 'problems'. A Department of Health CIrculaT 1968 reters back to and reasserts a circular of 1945, the year the NNEB was established.

says that day care bus should restricted 'children who, from a health point of view or because of deprived or madequate opment and have special backgrounds, broad-based needs that cannot otherwise be met" It reaffirms: and cultural influences. "the view of medical and other authority that early prolonged and separation from the mother is , detri- mental child The and one that wherever possible the governmen! ment. younger pre-school child should be at home with the campaign mother, and that the needs exclusively through of older pre-school children mentary' means. should be met by part-time attendance nursery schools or classes" The source of this 'auth- ority' is not specified. Clearly the view running throughout nursery training picked 'experts'. that only second best solution selves, home care, and that the existing children nurseries are against the petty tyrannies 'problem' radequate Chidaeke from nursery oI day backgrounds afraid of failing their exams reflects the state purpose in if they express independent making the provision. views or 'cause trouble', are It permeates the way in eager to fight. which day nurseries are run and it explains much of the ference on the NNEB last hostility full to day rebruarv provision for under-5's and London Nursery Campaign. also the low nursery nurses themselves.

ductory speeches, and many The Nursery LOnGOI more expressed Campaign

NUPE

and trustration at al c of its support; that criminal the whole trespass is a national issue- ment. not concern the Socialist Regions; that there political are differences number of other issues on CACTL on many points but which Regional Conferences urge our could be organised; and that oppose these CACTL's policies go further steps by the than adopted by Laose crats. Congress. Regional Such based on the labour move- bureaucratic manoeuvring clearly ment would provide impor- amounts to a form of back- tant platforms such should be rested by proscription and demands for coupled with SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 24 January, 1979 yOU Vlook after the children butwholooks after YOU? join NUPE today National Union of Public Employees NUPE poster-what do they have to offer nursery nurses?

now campaigning jointly for action the adoption of a new sylla- Nursery nurse participa- with less emphasis on tion in the nursery acton the physical development of groups London is around children and more on their scant. creative and linguistic devel- The nursery nurses them- with a more selves mobilised

IT USI

liberal into action. approach to social questions They should be directed of the family, parental roles to organise a campaign in their colleges for the adop- They are calling for this tion of the new syllabus to form the basis of an inte- using the tactic of occupa- training scheme for tion. all under 5's workers under Local authority further depart- education sub-committees other education unions and The trouble is that the education committees being waged should be lobbied and also "Darlla- MP's to insist

NUPE

action now NUPE is trying to get its Such perspective MPs to raise the question in developing the independent the House of Commons; the organising and trade union TUC is calling for a Royal abilities of nursery Commission; NUPE has also and bringing them into the held a conference of hand- forefront of the campaign is thing wanted by Yet nursery nurses them- such NUPE officials as Reg bored stiff by the Race and Ron Bickerstaffe, kicking course, who have so far 'lead' the campaign. 'matrons' could only be carried through sharp conflict with the

NUPE

bureau- cracy. But it would result in a 600 turned out for a con- rapid political education of nuisely nurses and a trans.

_organised by the formation of day nurseries.

It should be linked with Many left after the intro- an active fight for the exten- sion provision nursery and an increase in nursery their the lack of nurse studentships. The last CACTI conference labour strike action against closures move- in industry and the public Press has with The latest outbursts against picketing by both readers the •Tories and Callaghan reactionary also that this basic TUC bureau- right be defended from the attacks of both the conferences employers and union leaders who seek to restrict strikers to token pickets.

IOT

occupation supporting

SALSTERESS. meires 24 Jamaars, 1979

A FIRST STEP TO

AN OVERDUE

DISCUSSION

By a Socialist Press Correspondent Last weekend saw the USF! sections well political questions raised were May leaders of the International exist and even grow ot little or no substance latest ING booklet on Marxist Group make woula not be up to the task o1 The leading revolutions. the Fourth tentative, but possibly 'Pabloism' important, first step was no more than a myth. a long-postponed This, tor all its weaknesses Challenging the repeated discussion with the Workers avoleance ot politics Is an aroument out torwaro ov noth established position on history Socialist League the Mandel and other IMG speakers which USFI is forced the that, mistakes had problems political and aerena in oraer to argue that it historical divisions that have Deen mace ov • roo ane otners today the Fourth ante ta. 1953. there had been no So the arisen within the post-war reluctance actual class lines, crossing Trotskyist movement. discuss these questions comrade alluded LISTer has no Decause Ine

WSL

representatives Trotsky s writings un the / rade position on them.

VVGIC

Unions, where he states clearly: IMG day Nor is it because Lenin and ''Independence from the school on the 1953 split and the Trotsky brushed aside historical influence 1963 "reunification' in which bourgeoisie lessons. cannot be a passive state. It can speaker was ine edger express itself only by political copies oroered the "United" Secretariat of the Left Wing Communism, that the Fourth International, Ernest against the bourgeoisie. Mandel. "This struggle must And, in the discussion, WSL Executive Committee member requires brooramme which John organisation and tactics for its time to put forward some of the application positions of our movement.

the union

WSL

Pointing out that the programme, organisation and document CIscussion On i ThAse tactics that historical questions entitled Constitutes The Well, had party. Poisoned been "In this way, the real inde- pendence proletariat the wor tor reov neariv a veat comrade Lister attempted trom the bourgeois government ago, show the link connecting cannor realiser uniess ine proletariat conducts its struggle ooilEIca ano under the leadership of a revol- programmatic differences between the IMG/USFI and the party." WSL to the historical problems (Pathfinder ed. p.16) post-war INaT nave TacAo Trotskyism. What Trotsky says here neevencence TrOm The bour "Internationalist" independence Reminding school that, une bour ine geoisie's within the unlike

WSL,

the USFi to itself-the day characterises Castro's this parasitic Stalinist and reformist regime Cuba undeformed workers' oureaucraci If the Trotskyist movemen surmounteo ov revolution unable the test ary", "internationalist"' leader- Vietnamese invaders storm into Cambodia, 1979 ship, comrade Lister drew atten- eveilla

OUT

Torward •oltica une indecencent ot ine taining his historical balance that

LIUT

TOC!

InIS Stalinist or reformist the position ettectivery lines up the sneet • strucoles ot cracy, then proves itself USF! alongside the Cuban and Bolsheviks, to be distributed to Soviet-backed Ethiopian forces delegate the uneouai o tne task ot' revou every Second tionary leadership-whether or currentiv attem •tina to crush conteress ou une comintern not it actually goes over the End, Stressing toast 1953 to the set out to In doing so he And, turn the attention of delegates stressing side or une bourgeoisie, argued that in comrade Lister. the leadershio the method of Bolshevism the …rourtn • turn to the study of the International, headed by Michel insistence on the absolute Pablo, had failed to call for the nistorical political independence of

CSIS

Trotskyist movement precisely working class, role order to steel our forces and sent to suppress the uprising play Inat class nas workers in East Berlin, comrade struggle for socialist Liam VUr leaderisnie Ine point where we do not fail a and variety tactical denounced the tailure Lisol similar test. means and manoeuvres SOCIalIST Cnallenge call tor whered the withdrawal ine workino cass can ne Time limit troops from Kampuchea. from the influence of reaction bourgeois, petty bourgeois cven These This point could not argued comrade or retormist leaders. exambles amplified the time limit Lister, are enough to show that too, set October Lessons (1924) the confusion of 1953 and the imposea at the school, but Is 01 considerable importance. are mercilessly to dissect the lessons Cuban revolution Still USFI leaders claim factor in the political line taken of history in order to fight the on programme ghastly errors being committed today by the USFI. InaT coreement for the ""big political questions" political Communist Party leaders uniess These now arising sufficient, and particular in Germany. This remained Trotsky's and openly and the neces- that inere notaing gained by looking back to the method in the sary lessons orawn. mere could TONT TOr crises of 1953 and 1963. consistent proletarian continuity of Bolshevism.

class for by the laken this one and declared it Method sten turther USFI leadership or its sections "point of principle" they will not, as they put it, herusine to acceot ine view history' Stalinist leaders were that the simply course in upholding "mistakes® series the USFI as the political anc isolated ne insister continuity organisational probing the method bening thev these mistakes, IrotsKyIsm are-wretnel it or not-voting on for they like the forces historical questions. take clear position on them. dre in oracuce cecial ing support the positions For he tor instance 1931 in Mandel and Michel WoTe Pablo Socialist Workers happened The American ing what Party, followed by the British England section and the French grouping Communism as a whole nor the issued Left Opposition arouno Pierre Lambert. particular the Open Letter proclaiming a will be able to make its way to a public faction. Ihey still insist that it was (Marxism and the Trade Unions the Open Ine sionatories р.35). Letter who were in wrong; The disastrous that they carried through Wild Trotsky 6 by the Stalinised British Com- was an organisational and not a political split; and that Party munist under direction of the Kremlin bureau- cracy led the British CP virtually dissolving itself into the vivement and tail ending the TUC General Council even these traitors to sell out the 1926 prepar tu General sirike Trotsky insisted that behind this tactical blunder lav a funda wrong method of mentai approach to the building of evolutionary leadership in the wor kine class. Roots of opportunism Time again his writings Trotsky returns to this patiently explaining question not simply that the Stalinists had adopted a false opportunist relation to the trade ронсу in union bureaucracy, but explain- ing also the roots of that policy the psychological 'Une sources of opportunism superficial impatience a lack o the gradual contience growth of the party's influence the desire to win the masses bi manoeuvres personal diplomacy. "Out of this springs the the sens the pince s ФЕЛІС • scenes, the policy or silence of hushing up of self-renuncia tion, of adaptation to the idea: and slogans otners: anc finally, the complete passage to the pone subordination im superalnation CP to the Kuomintang in China creation of workers' and peasants' parties India, subordination British party to Move- these nent, etc.-in same sat •ЕЛЕ com oureauerstid binationism which commences with patienc ank TINISneS opportunist treason." (p.37) Others of Trotsky's writings tace inrouen te matera cots this conservative approach within forming Stalinist bureaucracy in the soviet union He examined the process through which the Communist international, tounded by Lenir in 1919 to provide leadership to the international workers' move- become simply ment. nad crude extension of the increasingly conservative foreign policy of the Stalinists.

And result of this ConsistenT analysis Trie degeneration of historical Comintern Trotsky able was 1933 to point correctly ine absence ot even a ripple o concern within its ranks Hitler's crushing of the power- ful German workers' movement as unmistakeable evidence • that the Comintern was 'dead now for the purposes of revolution' In setting about the task of constructing Trotsky Fourth new, International ins stee inal sucn an international must fight for absolute clarity: The • chief historical instru- ment of our is une dard , This instru- aroletariat. ment must be forged of the best steel, well tempered and sharply ground. Only if such an instru- ment is it possible

AXIST

work successfully upon the ran historic material" We regard this as the correct approach to the fight for revolu- Absolute truth In demanding a reexamina tion of the issues involved in the 'sos spill ana ine analysis made the Cuban revolution,

WSL

has no intention attempting to trace oT Inin reo line ot absolute truth reaching down to our tendency today. Ine contrary, as oui Page 9 East German workers fight Kremlin tanks in 1953 document The Poisoned Well makes abundantly clear, we are convinced parties

TO INE

lyos split or the "Reunification" was wholly correct in its understanding of Isi in tne post war overturns ot capitalism-though dangerous conclusions than But nor are we neutral or the major political issues that arose in 1953. which in our vien the whole question 01 raised how the programme of Trotsky.

Coute deverooed and light of the detendea in the contradictory role of post-war Stalinism Adequate foundation than awarding Kathe! or slaps on belated medals the wrist, local win ine reconstruction ot ine Trotskyist Fourth International on a theoretical foundation firm enough to equip its sections to moolise the workine class inde the various Stalinist, reformist and leader- bourdeo s nationalist ships That theoretical foundation was not fald down in 1953. N01 were any of the problems answered the aoree to •isacree formulae of the 1963 reunifica refusing By serous critica reexamination o the false positions of the past the USFI, whatever its facade of "orthodoxy' al une moment is building on sand Not circulated Last school weekends enabled these problems to be broached for the first time witt members man

COT

present. Many of them still have not been circulated with copies 01 Te rosoneo mer The document was 'submitted last year by the WSL part the discussion material to the prior USFI Xith World Congress now seems unlikely

BUT IT

that any moves will be made by the USFI to circulate the docu- • ment internationav Such the reluctance

USFI

leaders discuss any aspect of thelr own nistory But hopefully last weekend's small beginning , can at last mark Le sarl or a serious oiscussio!

of the obvious une source : political differences between the IMG/USFI and the WSL such Clarification is essentia if there is to be any hope of establishing principled basis i for the reconstruction of : Fourth International

Page 10

INDUSTRIAL

Journalists: the good news and the bad Provincial journalists the paper official returned to work on declared them sacked. Monday at the end of a seven week strike with the obvious gains weakened by the terms voting of the settlement. the Although the strike bust Nottingham wide open the, original 5% remained sacked. offer and made big gains in pay sections

IOT

•some of chapel journalists, the strike ends with 28 journalists Nottingham sacked and the Oxford union proposing not to lift a finger to help them. until the Direct input defeated The journalists work for Iwo lo oe the Nottingham Evening Post, whose boss Paul Carew chapel that forced in direct input type- setting four years ago and should be destroyed the organised carried unions. As soon Willie most of the NUJ members Quite frankly, we're socialist revolution unique! ГОГ EnIS only movement! are smaller than some self-styled we re the that fights patiently 'revolutionary groups, and relent- lessly, InE Has reatureo in te party working blass in capable pay ser tight interest ot rotskvist mobilising the in the fight the struggle for state power and Jobs the establishment of a socialist against unionisation society In doing so, the WSL alone fight does dictatorship witnin the unions battles with the existing leaders This method of approach whether rejecting any ot the workino case - these be 'left' talking Labourites trade union militancy. and any union bureaucrats, or Stalinists Torm ot the Communist Party counter-revolutionary In these battles we set out to or Stalinist bureaucracy - is of prove to workers both in theory course essential for the working and in practice the necessity fo class not only leadership and for internationally. a new programme of transitional demands which, starting issues today's only todays and consciousness within the work.

WU KETS

class, lead liberation struggle and revolut-

MORE

DETAILS

Please send me more information about the Workers Socialist League. Name Address. Send to: WSL, 31, Dartmouth Park Hill, London NW5 1HR

NEWS

the Nottingham strikers had known what would happen to tnem. Although a speech from the General Secretary, Ken Ashton, was greeted with a of silence and joined the national strike he derision. by Mike Bower, Northern Organiser who had otticials stood as the 'left' candidate assurea surikers lnal len in the last elections for the Jobs would be delenaea, but Por voting without telin without telling membership that the workers

PHOTO

At the London meeting he oreseniauves called to decide on the out- indrew come a resolution from the chapel-that there should be no return to work employers guaranteed no victimisation by about This vote-in the face of a plea from the Nottingham the motion supported -was through after National officials said it was Defender of the deal-SOGAT a hopeless gesture and that leader Keys Why you should join the WSL struggle to grasp the need for ionary struggles such as those in Iran and Southern Africa, but reason though we also the necessity tor the recon Trotskyist SUCtion The , the WSL anising Toretront o centre party of socialist revolution.

against the The WSL is not the biggest TUC leaders. in more int one easiest to be a The trie cuts, easiest struggles, and in member of. But in its approach to both theory and practice it is oureducratic the only really serious revol- utionary movement. descent to simple When the VoU lOOK struggles now under way and concession the the problems faced by the wor- reformist king class, the necessity TOl principled leadership is unmis- takeable Britain but

WHY

NOT

JOIN US? Fill below for more In the Torm details, or approach your local unternational the WSL points out not branch, obligation of British information about our more programme, policies, Ine rish and per-

THE KEY TO THE CUTS FIGHT!

ENNALS QUI

ND MORE

A HOSPITAL CUTSI

the

DERBY

TELECRAPH

NUX

fo PHOTO: Andrew Wiard, Report General Secretary For minutes Bower dhow played 'weakness' under attack in this way.

on the and 'tiredness' of the Nottingham strikers, and told FoCs that however they they ing went would find their mem bets returning to work. future years. In fact in those chapels which had • discussed Nottingham before the had been meeting After THEre general agreement that the strike could not end until they were reinstated. Oxford FoC Peter get McIntyre told delegates that although members had exer- office in Nottingham cised their option to call off offensive over wages 'compete' after gains had been made in firm.

OFFICIALS HELP

AXE SINGER JOBS

Union leaders last successfully week munity" to piloted a reactionary of 2,000 axing scheme, i 560 involving redundancies by March UP With and a longer-term cut of Hugh 2,000 jobs, through a mass meeting the at ings would be by Singer sewing machine wastage" plant at Clydebank. alternative Management had drawn force; the only union "representatives" into €8 joint talks their matum million rationalisation plan, and relied heavily on union bureaucrats to railroad the finished scheme through a DOOKS Ol hostile workforce. for Last month meeting the "loss-making' voted to reiect the rescue proposals. sation officials under recalled the mass meeting malacement. they made it plain that they would withdraw support workers stuck to this position Right

AUEW

wing official Gavin Laird went on to claim, laughably, that the proposals did not give Singer management a blank cheque for speed-up

GMWU

bureaucrat Ken Baker went further,

PRESS

The booklet which spells out the policies necessary for all-out struggle against the cuts, drawing on practical ex- perience at the

EGA

and the Oxford Nursery Occupation. Name Address sup plus 10p p&p from the WSI 31, Dartmouth Park Hill Send to: London NW5 1HR. Dartmouth London NWS IHR SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 24 January, 1979 12 42%

PROFIT

8%

OFFER

Striking journalists demonstrate through Nottingham seven weeks, they could not Although the campaign union come pays lip service to blacking action it is relying on TUC FoC, Kevin officials (one of whom responsibility Hill. said that if their sack.

snared all other agreeing to the sackings), to ahead, sections could be at risk in cut off supplies to. Carew. Even at this stage the only way to reinstate the Nottingham Union paper strikers strike action throughout the Newspaper Societv chanels defeating the mass pickets and a fight for officials then gave enthusiastic back- blacking. Such policies are now being passed by chapels ing to a local campaign' to the strikers reinstated Oxford supporting which involved opening an monon and starting a paper supposed to

GET YOUR

giant

COPY

and declared that the meet- ing had a "duty to the com- endorse the jobs and Against submit to wholesale speed- plant convenor Swan supporting the deal, arguing that the sack- "natural there was perspective put 'Communists' Against Rev forward to the Singer work- to olution containing the answer Theory the management/union ulti- little-known 01 Assimilation' by to occupy the Structural plant in defence of all jobs im Wolforth, is the bool and demand the opening of on post-war Stalinism that this multi- Mandel Healy would and national, to show the case not publish or discuss. the nationalisation of Make sure you get you Clyde- copy available at £1.75 bank plant without compen- plus 20p p&p from: workers'

WSL, 31,

Dartmouth Park Hill, London NW5 1HR. Right at

WORKERS

SOCIALIST

the * forefront!

DEFEND THE

SU TOOL MAKES

GET

DEFEND THE

SOCIALIST

RIGHT

PRESS

I would like to receive...

EVERY WEEK!

issues. I encinse the sum i.

5 issues ..£1.10 10 issues ..£2.20 25 issues ..£S.50 Socialist Press, 31. Park Hill, 50 issues .£10.00

SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 24 January, 1979 Last week's CDLM cai- workers, conference called to discuss the "Crisis in the Industry" Motor was attended by 40 carworkers and was highly successful.

The the Tor calling conference was explained by the chairman. out week v ouetins. Every struggle in which pro- bureaucracy did gramme fought for within involve the membership. one particular sector led to the workers were unifying with from picketing and only necessITy

TOI

other carworkers. series mass Chrysler the solution to week of the strike. Ene Takeover ato cosure toreat.

couldn't centred on Still meeting "Open the books" within that leading to lis nationailsd sueaker tion. himself didn't think the com- Such a policy would lead to mittee had turned enough into the nationalised tirm competing the omda union movement. The committee workers private v- owned Ford and Vauxhalls.

meeting. It direct towares nationarisation one trom vauxnalls given by an Ellesmere Port worker. the whole motor and compon ents industry and banks as part He described of a planned socialist economy.

the Vauxhall's review. Charman s openine Ene •ureaucrac remarks followed nothing were report on Fords by a member of that were abviously there.

the roro rank one mie comone committee. had just seen Leyland's Speke plant, Vauxhall No information management Was mere Port He described the build up to and threatening cutbacks.

the 1978 strike-and the contin- Gutte different from Fords. uous battle to get the £20 claim in opposition to the right wing who argued for a "substantial" with Fords was claim. alesmere Once the claim was adopted convenor no information was put out by to "watch their step" because of the bureaucracy the state of the company.

and file a ne •ore rank Walkat combine committee" put out a described the fight of leaflets line continuous stream around the to a ne mans as wer overine the books battle had been unsuccessful.

as distributing claim badges and Many Tee-shirts. ot the

AT THE TOP....

UNION DUES

Step forward for motor industry workers During the strike they put Vauxhalls such as lack of infor- mation trom the Joint vedo nothing tiating Committee the were same as Fords discouraged was 1 ne Leviane report two taken after the lunch-break. This went into the background meetings were To Ine so review. exalaine how bureaucracy had removed the plant's leadership 1974 cowley Assemory how they had fought back and said that ne re-won their positions. the review The fight was •escrimed was still against the acceptance corporate bargaining, with the This report was followed by the Cowley battie centre The cowerful Assemb v rant. around the "Leyland the run-up to 1978 Review' stewards for the Here, committee, leafleting and meet- ings, and into the nad GonA The TUrr but play up problems official machinery was explained. showed where workers sopaker Then the closure how the union bureaucracy both and reformist Stalinist Savine Then battled successtully. arter was not profitable the Drews Lane strike to get back to corporate bargaining.

Even though there was a 2-1 was

TIBIS

ballot vote the 5% the chance of a joint fight militancy rising rapidly was now that the haulage and tanker somolace Port's drivers have won at east 5% One inéscapable conclusion , who said workers had from the reports and from the discussion was inal any move lo speaker get a fight off the ground in the against this industry came at up against the twin barriers demand this Tine rignt wing and te com munist Party. problems discussion was wide-

AT THE FLEET STREET OFFICE OF THE DAILY TORYGRAPH...

THESE END OF CIILISATION AS WE KNOW IT" STORIES

ARE GETTING RATHER STALE -CANT WE PICK ON

LA GROUP OF WRECKERS?

HELLO. O'FISHALL-WE'RE AFTER SOME DIRT

ON WRECKERS AND EXTREMISTS -CAN YOU HELP?

WELL, THERE'S THIS BUNCH

the closure Leyland's with side, 3,000 jobs, months for sackings at the report collarly. Triumph trom CAV plant at Acton and from workers Longbridge. attack. One of the Ford workers allon should urged that overestimate ourserves we non't pretend to be what we are Speke 1t view was answered by a Leyland worker, the who pointed that at Elsewhere same time we must also realist what effect just a small group had had on the whole Leyland Fort Dunlop Birmingham; here was aiso ciscussion ot the failure of the Ford group to fight for the demand of a cost Dunlop's moves, Abbey factory of a job. safe.

&20 ON THI

dancy plans matum

PAY

improve every plant. Essential

MAKE

PAY

1-OFF THE DAY

Speke workers determined steps to these moves Local left' plant. This the fight to threatened jobs. And Speke Ford strikers demonstrate of-living clause wage to demand full scale union agreement. for backing The conference then voted since DeTence manning Pemberton standards" 'and "For a 35-hour 1S to the CD LM's the union's programme. Executive Council! was agreed that pamphlet on the crisis in the Fatal weakness industry would oroduced and That there would be a further conference in about three months time. struggle not tere remain covious differences in the political direc- the leadership of stewards ord from the that of weeks and

WSL

is at the centre oi blustering

CDLM,

this conference was token ments, big step forward in bringing carworkers together to discuss ment. around the programme necessary for workers the they refused motor industry.

PLEASE SIR! I BELIEVE THERE'S

WHAT AROUTI

TUMERIC ALI'S

1 THE SOCIAL

WORKERS PARI

AH! SO

THE COMMUNISTS

ARE AT WORK

UNDERMINING

YOUR POSITION?

Page 11

OCCUPY

DUNLOPS!

Less than a year after occupation of the plant- the and demoralised of British thousands of workers ready Triumph to fight to save their jobs. plant at Speke, Mersey- In Dunlop the stewards the loss must cáll an immediate mass and only meeting and adont at once a programme for the defence after the of all jobs in the company announcement of plans by: 500 further *Occupation, the factory other *Election of a committee Speke plant, of trade unionists face a new demand employers access to the books to The giant Dunlop corpor examine Dunlop's real decided to slash for strategy rationalisation back its tyre manufacturing and speed-up and the causes operation and to close down of its supposed "losses" sending 2,400 more workers to join Supporting action Merseyside's thronging dole *Fighting for combine- 440 workers wide supporting action are to face the chop in the based on the policy of work plant in sharing on full pay in place 250 policy oi the compani Inchinnan in Scotland and, sackings and combine-wide rationalisatior speed-up Waltham *Demand that Loyden producing and other 'left' MPs lead a sports equipment is to close fight inside the Labour -throwing 458 workers out Party and in Parliament for the nationalisation of But no Dunlop worker is Dunlop, without compensa Management has tion and under workers coupled these savage redun- management-fighting for with an ulti- the of the job- removal to unions cutting anti-socialist productivity in Callaghan-Healey leadership.

With the bitter lessons of the sell out of jobs at the Triumph plant still ringing in their ears, Dunlop take MP Eddie Loyden has already talked about an occupation of the step is essential in defend the workers are strongly placed Evans-his chairman under such action- sacking threat TGWU convenor Stan chairman

WORKERS SOCIALIST

General

LEAGUE

OXFORD

Public meeting The fatal weakness in the How to win the Public British Sector workers' claim Leyland's closure plans was that officials, convenors and Speakers from Public wasted precious Sector unions months in general state-

THURSDAY FEB 1

protests and 8.00 p.m. manage- East Oxford Commun- To the very last moment ity Centre, Princes St. call

DON'T BE FOOLED, LADDIE - THIS IS

A WORLD COMMUNIST CONSPIRACY.

JOHNSON!.. RUN ALONG AND GET ME

A CUTE ABOUT CONFUNDI

INFRATION FROM OFSHALI

SIR!

NO LADDIE - YOU

IT'S THE BLASTED

DON'T UNDERSTAND!

MEMBERSHIP ARE

THE WRECKERS!

I'M THE COMMUNIST...

ALL OUT FOR FULL

What next after Shah's biggest the ordinated strike action since the 1926 General Strike, 1½ million public sector workers on Monday demonstra- ted their bitter hostility at years poverty wages. 60,000 huge Joinea a of column 1n procestors the House march Commons. Thousands more manned picket lines outside hospitals, ambulance stations, schools, colleges and other workolaces. Driven on by Callaghan's admission in Parliament last week that those receiving less than £70 per week can The Shah of Iran has gone on holiday, leaving house his in some disorder. The political created by his departure has yet to be filled. DI. Shapour Bakhtiar, the heir appointed by imperialism, has still to establish any authority beyond the hopeful trust of the Shah's own officials and agents. Neither the ally the religious solelalo. J1U1 leaders nor tne masses nave shown willingness any accept his government as an answer to their demands. In the largest demonstra- tion seen so far in Tehran 1½ million people marched through

SLICELS

Friday to denounce the new government Illegitimate and called on solalers to Join with them in the mass This mobilisation had been achieved by the religious leaders.

SOCIALIST

PRESS

After Jan. 22: be described as "low paid"

END

and encouraged by the 14%

LOW

pav offer made to 30.000 water workers, more and

PAY

sections have sayi been that their demanding leadership drop their bank- rupt strategy of calling only "selective' strike call and all-out strike Frustration at an appall- ing lack of leadership in this pay fight has reached a high point the Rather than adopt a clear policy indefinite strike action, with cover provided under the of 'strike contro tees, the plete stoppage of all services convenors London area at first counled on January 22, followed by the ultra-left call for á com- only a programme of half- puppet? Bakhtiar and the military for an Islamic demana leaders. Republic' apparently The generals have been with little opposition. given strict instructions b his Announcing the Carter administration imminent return from Paris not to move against the new 11 all. bourgeois government Khomeini also revealed the tills stage of 'Islamic existence an But if Khorneini makes a Revolutionary Council' prepared to take control of bid for power, relying on the state, and promised the the strength and militancy of the workers and peasants, creation of • populany• there can be no doubt that vascu consuluent assembly.

would the army move But Khomeini has risen swiftly in a bid to crush the to his present position strength only by basing him- surgency. self on the strength of the They gave a foretaste of the methods and barbarity Hasser forward they when and would use, movement. all strike Lane troops nolca ill Anwaz and action waged by the organ- Dezful (cities the oil ised strength of the working fields) and killed dozens of class. demonstrators who were of dangers that demanding the abdication contradiction haunt both of the Shah. Published by Folrose Ltd. for the Workers Socialist League, 31, Dartmouth Park Hill, London NW5 1HR.

Printed by Anvil Printers Ltd.. London. Registered as a newsoaper at the Post Office ist Demonstrators on January 22 hearted work-to-rule action -including a ban on paper- work and answering emer- The oppressed masses of Iran face dangers on three fronts. If they are to defeat the threat of reaction from the from Bakhtiar's alllly pro-imperialist government then they must break from the dominance of the religious leaders in a fight for the socialist programme that alone can mCcl

LICH

needs and aspirations. workers' "Buitd armed militias! *Create workers', peasants and soldiers' committees!

*for constion resemblyd *For

WO KOT

peasants' government! * In the factories and oil. fields. the capital. ba To ad ists and occupy! *In the countryside: expro.

priate and

OUT ONE AL

occupy! *In the army: refuse to obe the officars! Join the workers ir So Go nas! *Sack Callaghan, Owen and Mulley, the Shah's friends!

5% insults

NUPL

theLow says • Paid. £60

CLAIM!

gency phones. services (rising in pace with Under pressure from the inflation) if these essential press, the convenors backed • services are not to be down on Sunday from their pruned back and thousands "total stoppage of jobs lost as a result call and substituted a plan for emer- the government conceding gency cover to be provided wage increases while maini on a voluntary basis, with- taining cash limits on loca pay -in other words authorities. without charge to the management Frustrated beyond endurance at this collapse ambulance branches PHOTO: Laurence Soarhem TET.

after another voted for a waik-out, leaving only two stations in London providing any cover at all.

Dangers Management have attempted capitalise on this situation by threatening to lock out any section ol ambulancemen that imple- ment the work-to-rule policy of not directly answering emergency phones-thus effectively threatening to close down the whole ambulance Fisher service "Selective" and partial Workers both the action of this always public and type private sector, including carries such dangers-and those who have has been proved time and recently fought water again be ineffective battles and those about to pay struggles in the public take on the employers will sector. TV reject the and Meanwhile, while even campaign to dub Monday's holding back the from Black Monday' and necessary action,

NUPE

recognise it as a limited, but Fisher leader has happily important nevertrees. admitted his belief that the development in the struggle public against low pay

SACCLO

WAKET

not win their £60/35 hou The urgent need now is week claim "all for public sector workers to • at once Nor has he outlined any link up with other sections call for cost-of-living the trade union move- clause in the new agreement ment, particularly with protect levels wage other workers in struggle, to against inflation. form councils of action in And none of the public mobilisation sector leaders has the working class against the

UN O

spelled out the necessity for reactionary Callaghan- Healey scale of be a sualng Call ment spending on the social taken to a higher level.

FUND

Once again, a good week for the monthly fund with £165.70 arriving in the office during the last seven days.

This included £15 from supporters in Denmark and £3.15 from a collection at a WSL public meeting in Aylesbury.

With one week to go to the end of the month a huge effort will have to be made during the next few days if we are to raise the outstanding f198.67 and reach our target of f600 by the end of January.

All donations should be sent to: Socialist Press Monthly Fund 31, Dartmouth Park Hill London NW5 1HR