Socialist Press no. 141

MASSES RESIST

DICTATORSHIP

Weekly paper of the Workers Socialist League

DRIVE TO

Who will rule Iran? The answer to that historic ques- tion, which will affect the whole world, is now being social

HOST

upneaval. Workers are demole to defend and extend the gains thev nave made every Kina o opportunist politician trying to gain a political foothold; and ine ano bourgeois figures who have placed tnem- selves at the head of the move- ment are now unleashing a wave oT oaroaric reaction in une name of "Islamic revolution". of Islamic reaction remains the Ayatollah Khomeini. "Democracy" He is in effect Head of State of the Bazargan and patron covernment which ne nas tam basted for its taste for "demo- cracy and luxury". Last week Khomeini issued a On Women Knomeint s cirective to wear ine demagogic political appeal: traditional veil. only have one or two Thousands of women, years to live: I call on you to ever in enran ano com some- Kees uo une struggle to estaoiisi times protected by male left- a just Islamic republic. wing students) have We use the expres- which is a in the last five days joined huge democratic

SION

demonstrations against the reac- simply western wore. we Will tionary directive, Islamic republic for we say slogans such as the western don't Knomeini cictatorshio system. I call on those who Violence favour it to come towards Islam, Tain in which nas destrovea une old regime. In the referendum I will vote in scope and violence. for the Islamic Girls have been brevented trom Some of the Khomeini Com- facilities because (many but not all of "indecency" of their dress.

mittees Shops which the Ayatollah appears to nave been control), are implementing from selling contraceptive pills.

violent wave repression any forces organising for a "No' so far seem VOTe the orooosed reserved Tor nomosexuas ano referendum on March 30. alleged rapists, dozens of whom Meanwhile, although some have been seized These committees SEIl oy une homem committees round and The Bazargan Cont nue execute members of the Shah's largely composed tyranny, Their Torces nave Porticians TrOm become increasingly tied up in a rront, undoubtedly tears that this wave of black murderous and reactionary cam the resistance paign social burnication and "Islamisation" treat to the re-establishment of

SOCIALIST

PRESS *

* No. 141 * March 14, 1979 * 15p

KHOMEINI'S

Mass upheavals toppled the Shah This involves savage attacks a stable capitalist regime.

reactionary to tone down • The voice of the Islamic rules.

The Health Minister, how- for instance. na. claimeo inat Dirtr control and Islam are not com- four times pletely inconsistent with each BUt at the same time shouting toning down the socially reac- "Down with the Islamic tionary LoTTe they. Khomeini, ZealoTS have unleashed torrents of abuse virtually inviting the Islamic masses to exterminate them. The repression is mounting fact remains that the The physically covernment still has verv tte control over the situation.

using sports Bazargan (who last week was the on

LNIC

resionation bitterly complained at the week.

orevented end that "this country. : is ruled by revolutionary committees.

But the most savage attacks to Have Workers' committees and shot dead He was referring not only to the Khomeini Committees but cabinet, also many other to factory of capitalist neighbourhood tne Nationa committees set uo eltner ov ine Islamic Marxist-eninist reaction and g groups of workers independent to it Willoe 'OT the main political tormations.

given by declared should wear literallv but fiquratively"!

The two announced bazarian s however stances where once nave forms various mittees of the masses All these are those cains made turned into religious These main guerrilla groups threat have been showing more clearly Thar ever •Ine treacherous rot government they are destined to play in are the mass Iran. and the students of last occinning Week stalinist iT dalong with nationalities Stalinist Tudeh party supported a million-strong rally in honour of the former bour ot autonomy) geois Premier Mossadeq self-proclaimed overthrown by the Shah's wa: CIA-backed coup in 1953 to curb and destroy the Bourgeois democratic and democratic The rally was organised by oppressed masses in irar the recently established ing class and National Front Democratic trust the Tudeh lea vossageds grandson Matine Daftary and a of bourgeois group sections of politicians

WITO

Have recenty une slamic merareny. lett the National Front. The democratic the

NDF

Progrannic includes "abolition of discrimination abolition against women; laws lim tina rIGnTS citizens; rights for the nations of oooressed classes Iran; total abolition of censor- which politically economic

SAID

oppression." split in the Islamic fight to extend them camp for seemed struggle to be indicated by the demonstration speech The peasants

ERITREA:

Where do CP and IMG stand? Page 9 Guerrilla forces hold suspected SAVAK agents: now a similar attack launched against gays Ayatollah Kachani socialism in Iran. full democratic rights * For broaressive that in Iran! "not political not linked to the rISOnerS guerrilla groups Shah's tyranny! support for *End the of and murders capitalist covern attacKs On socialists. women ment-provided it didn't repeat homosexuals! the errors made by Mossadea in *For womens' and gay "or workers Deasants and Disintegrated soldiers' committees and militias completely independent But what Bazargan is doing, Knomein, and tne bourgeoisie.

, is conducting a desper- *For national self determina- tion for the Kurdish, Azerbijani aTe struce to recreate a dour.

geois state apparatus in circum- ana balucn seoples! and *Down with the Khomeint. Bazargan regime! For free aisinteerated and real power has been assumed by elections Constituent of armed com- Assem ove *Expropriation of the oil committees- and its operation under industry protecting the workers manacement. oppressed *Revoke international tne masses and those that are being debts incurred by the Shah!

instruments of an *or complete a ssolution ou the repressive bourgeois state intolerant Dardarous ane savagt dictatorship-are apparatus! to central *For trial and punishment and workers peasants mobilisa- soldiers' courts of all agents of tions of women, of left wing the Shah's tyranny! of the oppressed in particular Lne Kurds, who have staged massive armed demonstrations in favour he bazardan government oi democrats, still Khomeinı Their Dower Is Tontine a batti rights the In this situation the work- its allies cannot party ana une lett wing guerrillas who com promise with the "progressive" the bourgeoisie and Oppressed t neees aleadernie oased on an independent programme for the working class and other and groups; organisationally and defends Ene already secured, and which wil in the workers and Bazargan covernment and

• TOI

WORKERS' RESISTANCE SMASHES

STALINISTS' SQUALID COMPROMISE

ECEVIT FACES ECONOMIC RUIN

Page 2

-INTERNATIONAL-

Italian workers demonstrate looks almost cemanes tor ministes in ent demagogic government inevitable that the Italian of "oppositions" declaration political parties will have to remeet me dressure of ne rank face a general election more and file, for this than two years earlier than CP leaders reason are now unable to return it is due. The l

DOSITION

ThAT existed For 3 years since the June before they precipitated the 1976 election, the present crisis. Christian Democratic Democrats enristian (Italy's catholic Tories) under however are unwilling to admit Premier Andreotti have ruled them into the government. Italy • in various ceorees alliance with Italian Ene Blame Communist Party. First of all the CP abstained And the opportunist Socia- in parliamentary votes of confi- 'list Partv is unwillină to ioin a dence to keep Andreotti's reac- government with the Christian tionary bourgeois government in Democrats without • the CP. power. Then one year ago it reached InIs would concentrate the blame for the government's coser. coreement witn ne aren- savagely anti-working class enemies The workino cass policies on them. along with the Socialist Social Democratic and Republi- The situation has all elements of an impasse which partes became can only general "parliamentary majority with- out actually having ministers in elections which are unlikelv government crisis but solve the tue covertical. will simply, reflect the lack of Embrace options. Party President Pertini has continued to search With each tighter squeeze of for every possibility of compr- this unprincipled embrace-with mise. however minute The leaders Two weeks ago he asked taking public responsibility for Republican Party leader Ugo la wage cuts, public spending cuts, Malfa to try to form a govern repression of democratic ment. foreign and policies-sections the Stalinists' rank and file members •ecan to revol! surver carried out by a political research institute and publised last week showed that fifth of the CP's one rank and file membership lof The most recent desper- some 1½ million) are complete- ate efforts by Turkish Prime opposed Ene Minister Ecevit to obtain strategic orientation of Enrico the promised from loan Berlinguer and Stalinist leading imperialist countries so caries historie compromise" with the capitalist seem to have fallen on deaf class in the political shape of the ears. chrisuan democrats So do his loud complaints And the evidence is beginn- to suggest that this fifth ing about neiack or any concret steps on the part of the Western outright opponents of the com- countries problems help solve the oromise nave Witch ane! chronic Turkish relative weight among the active of members the party-and the capitalism conditions loans tive. cown •vane west toroudn

OECD.

These the Major threat requirement that the Turkish This is a major threat to the Berlinguer leadership. But so are LOst have duceulel unt 'historic compromise". This has always been presen- ted them the leadership ЛОТ as tne crincine ensorsemeni of the Christian Democrats by a party share offices state-such as has napoence over tae ost la verts mise has the "historic com- promise" been justified defence ateresive policy force hated the Christian Democrats to concede a share of political power in the state, in particular ministers it the Cabinet and a of offices in the bourgeois state and the oureaucracy nationalised industries. Both sides, therefore daily Ecevit Berlinquer's vacillation between insistent Laj FPEMR This was the first time that a revival centre-left non-Christian Democratic But the Social Democrats- naobeen •esionated Premier since the downfall of to Socialist Party responding „Mussolini would not accept this Dressure- hat fact itself is a measure formula. which They insisted as a condition The extent Ine Italian ruling class has lost any known that "independents govern- parliamentary TO Ine models or of included in the Cabinet. post-war The CP various would any other feasible kind. probably accepted this a Have But, within week tne only alternative to elections.

according to our latest But, Startina even te suote an flexible la Malfa had to give uf information, the Christian the task reconciling the completely Democrats have with rejected it. commun si rank ano Tire the Christian Democratic leader- ship. Now, in what must surely be a last attempt, President Pertini Italian capitalism's now very tarnished saviour Guno anoreott. Coalition final Pertini to designate not Christian Democratic Prime Minister but also nepubican la malta again, and Social Democrat deputy premier (Saragat), thus insisting new ThAT bossi die Forer contil have to be coalition. At first siaht this looked like Berlinguer martial They yovernment impose a fresh of total law. accuse Ecevit of restraining this measures of through the martial law com- Turkish mittee on which he, some of his along lines

IMF.

a rose ove group The imperialist generals sit. powers have Chief of Staff Evren however clearly ma up their minds that has Ecevit's measures introduced at they will detence, accusing the rignt wing not put in the needed to opposition forcing • money military to take anti-democrati or u skis cao taste. curb Negotiations allowing measures Turkey a third amount The right wing's response to a $450 should to say the need ers under million "should involved aoreement soreo last aon, nave been suspended. politics" It was Iranian revolution, Meanwhile the fascist terror which prompted designed to extend the recent tarr of emercency financial aid for martial law tite nicabut te Flat Turkey. But should the intensified in areas not already Bazargan-Khomeini covernment ing the situation and imposing their reactionary rule, there would be a renewee military and fascist attacks on The precipitous visit the Turkish working class.

of chief imperialist Unlike Iran, where the organiser Jimmy Carter Shah's multary aarons was to the Middle East this isolated from any mass. reac tionary movement, the imperial- week has been Ists ano tne arkisn bourgeoisie motivated by one thing sponsored have sell mass fascist movement above all-fear that the The right wing opposition to Iranian mass' movement Ecevit is now stepping up its will spread elsewhere. opposition to his National with ascist Carter's many minions Action Party and the right wing are desperately organising to Justice Party calling on his allies in hold together lurkish people to overturn the the area. government. Zionist-in chief Begin They demand a government will give free rein to the was first brought to the US that and compelled to agree to at mitary in une implementation SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 14 March, 1979 This certainty wielen the next elections virtual

•LVVE

• or tree monts Only a last minute cave-in by the Stalinist leadership can now avoid that doesn't seem oroodole Fundamentally the CP leadership would like avoid elections or anything else which might bring It to account to it working class base. But the irony is that if there are to de erections unen this to the CP leaders is the best time.

Because they another call account in me torm the Congress of the mitteenth CP due begin in week sume course, the usual techniques have been used tor weeks • sure unat any serious debate in the Congress is smothered more less at birth. Obvious anger Nonethelesss section or he rank and many file and The Berlinguer leadership could use impending election and turn the Congress into public election rally. But will rant ocringuet from the platform haunted by covered by direct army rule.

Financed by major sections of the Turkish bourgeoisie. the fascists are attempting to create conditions for imposing kind of measures demanded by the IMF-by nashing the organised strength the Turkish working class a historic defeat, the reformist and Stalinist leaders fu kisa coour movement otte no perspective whatever. Still peddling the • illusion that bourgeois Ecevit "progressive", "demo. otters a cratic" alternative fascism, rather than providing fascists with the time and scope Peace trip flops least some withdrawal from the Sinai Peninsula and • 1010 omy for the Palestinians'.

These paper concessions on which neither the Pales- tinians nor anyone else have been consulted were then put to the Egyptian govern- ment with the accompant- ment of the full panoply of a state visit. Every effort is being to bolster the pro- Sadat imperialist regime, which surely looks much stable now than the less Shah did a year ago. knowledge that the proletarian forces it : is his politica whom are

TOTE

check increasingly hostile to his policies He rejoice in may publicly the research institute's discover his members Thai supported the "historic compro mise"

NOT.

nowever trumpeting the simultaneous discovery overwhelming majority of this 80% regard the "historic compromise for the present short-term tactic amlamentary situation are not as it has become in the hands of the Stalinist leaders a long-term orategy or doect crass collabo ration. Well 70% CP over members interviewed said they supporter amera coveramen workers' Communist government the dictatorship the proletariat. Ot important this shows now today in Italy is the slogan for CP-SP government, the rejectior compromise от an anc toth a programmis parties and programme socialist a government policies tor sucr of workers' parties pursue Revolutionaries who fight entectives "nose cemane today will be helping to set off explosior within enormous communis to organise, they continue to grve him t poltical support And they have made not the slightest defend the • move to workers movement mounting fascist violence through the establishment armed workers detence squads Yet the Iranian events have • shown unmistakeably the power and of the totallt Crass There must be a complete political break from Ecevit and a workers and peasants government in Turkey.

*Form united front of workers organisations in the gangs: Tascis build armed workers militias!

Sadat has already been taking over some of the jobs of the Shah, by sending troops to support the blood- thirsty British puppet Sultan Qabus of Oman. Carter's visit, waterer the outcome, was precise designed to put pressure on the Zionists to allow Sadat to gain something from the treaty. Whatever agreed between the imperialists and their friends the last word will come from the Pales- Egyptian tinians and the

EVENTS HANGS OVER

MID-EAST REGIMES

SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 14 March, 1979 The ripples from the stone thrown into the pool of world politics Revolu- by the Iranian tion are nowhere more turbulent and intense than in the Arab world. Every corrupt tinpot potentate in the Arab gulf, every American stooge or of the regimes asciil Saudi Arabia, Egypt Jordan, every Zionist land- grabber now feels under threat from the great surge of the forward iranian Ill abseo other tyrant, Everv colonialist im perialist agent

'HOW OOKS

VCI

shoulder each day, wonder- ing whether he will be the next to go. PLO leader Yassir Arafat therefore quite right was when during his recent visit Tehran he spoke of the change in the balance of mid-Eastern politics. Palestinian struggle But of this Louide balance will tip OnLV of the decisively in favour Palestinian national struggle by the mobilisation of the workers and peasants of the Arab world in the kind of struggles that toppled ulass the Shah. This requires a leadership that will develop policies to tull ene soclanst neeas ol the oppressed masses Despite the fact that the

PLO

has no such tive, the collapse of a major imperialist Duiwark In une the close links now area, developed between the bourgeois regime „lallau and the PLO leadership and the decision to cut Irantan oil supplies to Israel have com be c President Carter's an xiety to fragile COlsolene 'peace' between US imper- alism's chosen stooge and Israel reelmes. toyot (see other pages). Kurdistan But the ripples of the Iranlan events are belng leit even more sharply | the next most important of the national liberation struggles the area-the historic battle of the Kurds for self- determination the against regimes Iran, Iraa. Turkey and the Soviet Union. The recent death Washington of Kurdish leader Mustaha Barzani, known to have received sup- port in the past from both

CIA

Shah, ana should now make it possible for this struggle to take a new direction. Ever since 1925 the regimes of and Iran

INTERNATIONAL

SHADOW OF IRAN

have cooperated to suppress the Kurds, who have also been the victims of fascist attacks in Turkey. new vistas opened Ine up by the Iranian revolution will present a new impetus this struggle and a challenge to the new regime Lu aHn This will also: challenge the bourgeois anti-commun- ists who run the Ba'athist regime in Iraq. Saudi allies These so-called 'lefts' and reiectionists nave recenuy been bulding bridges for their "own protection not erstwhile only with their enemies in Syria, but also with the reactionary regime in Saudi Arabia, with whom they have signed a securty agreement. Despite all the regime's sickeningly hypocritical "anti-imperialist" preten- Iragi leader Siddam sIons, Hussein has distinguished himself not only by kicking • out Ayatollah Khomeini as the mass struggles in Iran began to gather pace, thus declaring clear support for the Shah, but also by arresting and murdering hundreds Communist Party mem bers

DENEH

political opponents. "Professional killer" Such behaviour has Yassir promoted even Arafat to denounce Hussein as "a professional killer who nas much in common Menachim Begin' Ana Ine Morning British has cafried repeated articles list- •the Iragi members 11g P.L.0 PLO leader Arafat takes possession of his new embassy in Tehran and : supporters jailed or wracked Workers Revolu- While such aid is being murdered by the regime. Party-continue made

LUNAY

avanabec cleæ No such reservations depict Hussein's bloody that the US imperialists are have been shown the Ba'athist regime as a revol- doubly reluctant after the Soviet Stalinist bureau- utionary Iran fiasco of simply supply- government carry- cracy, As the ing out a "socialist trans- ing sophisticated weaponry nowever. of Iraqi formation" of Iraq! arrests inherently unstable reached peak • regimes. last December, "profession- Smouldering war The sight of the Viet- al killer" Hussein with other airforce sending namese The Iraqis' more signif- Iraqi Teaders visited mixed squadrons of MIGS Moscow, where they met icant reactionary allies, the US F-4 and and captured Saudi Arabian regime, how- Brezhnev, Kosygin and Phantom into action jets ever, is also facing renewed Gromyko. against Chinese troops must problems, as the long-smoul- Kosygin declared that also have been a galling one dering between the talks had: war for US im perialist chiefs.

"discussed in detail our client regime in the desert New fleet of North Yemen kingdom turther cooperation the the Soviet-backed economic and political and With this in mind there 'Marxist' regime We have done Yemen has burst into open is now talk of the US itself evérything so that stepping up its police role in relations should strengthen conflict. still further." the with the Though the South Ve cie possibility of establishing a Yemenis Meanwhile, Iraq's British remain a contin- new fleet the Indian uing thorn in the side of the so-called dOLU Isis-une ocean, and the dispatch at "Trotskyists' of the crisis- of imperialist maintenance once of the aircraft carrier Cono is m kev ına Constellation offer they can be defeated by the least moral support for the North Yemenis who have beleagured North Yemenis.

yet naruiy manaset The crucial question. establish a' stable capitalist imperialists, bourgeois nation state, let alone an nationalists and taiinists efficient army. position and Jockcy own As we go lo press, nont struggie cacn in their of the 'ceasefire' efforts by way to shackle and defuse the Arab bourgeois regimes the revolutionary ferment in has been successful in saving Middle East, is for the the the North Yemenis from bulding of Trotskyist Fighting continues defeat. 'parties in cacn country as unabated. sections of a reconstructed Fourth International. Only such parties Arms and aid vall offer the oppressed masses a clear perspective of inde President Carter has pendent struggle against dic- come under heavy pressure tatorial and feudal repres- from worried Saudi Ene sion and for national liber- regime to supply unlimited ation through socialist revol- arms and aid to the North ution. Yemenis and to bolster up the comparatively small- scale military forces of Saudi despot Fahd Saudi Arabia itself. Page 3 Namibia plan near collapse As the March 15 deadline UN „ tor the ceasefire in Namibia approaches, the entire imperialist plan looks increasingly collapse. The few days have past seen a SWAPO attack on a South African camp, South African reprisal raids into Angola and sharp denuncia- tions of specific proposals UN General Waldheim from tre Secretary South African government and its Namibian ally the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance The threat to the plan comes not from SWAPO but from South African deter- mination despite guarantees the plan provides, to go for nothing less than a fully controllable 'friendly' regime. Once again South Africa objections the BEdSC imperialist proposals with which it appeared to be along: once aldll these raised after are period used to strengthen its own position: For Namibian militant, both inside and

SWAPO

of and

GUTSC

Namibia,

SWAPO

support for the imperialist deal has meant greater bureaucratic control and of restliclon • guerrilla both the SWAPO leadership and the 'frontline presidents"; greater repression Insuc Namibia, a greater South Atrican armv • presence an escalation of South African military attacks The same period has meant the military, financial and organisational strength- ening of the DTA and other right-wing forces. This situation has been brought about by the SWAPO leadership's capitu- lation to an imperialist plan designed to preserve capital- ism in Namibia-a plan des- cribed by the Presidential from "Marxist envoy Angola victory for Africa and the world seems likely that for the SWAPO leadershp, the raid on South African aniny camp waeh preceaec the South African attacks was an attempt to safeguard their tarnished left creden- tials and some

ICSLOIT

credibility as militants.

Such propagandistic military acts are likely to be if stepped the Soutr Africans finally declare rejection of the imperialist plan. Zig-zags from negotiated capitulation to_adventurist militarism in no way repres- ent a break from a polítical tie to imperialism and its 'solution' of a 'reform' of the capitalist state The recent wave of strike starting from the action Rossing mine, together with continued military acts by

SWAPO

militants are signals that there are forces inside and outside SWAPO are prepared to WnO nol give up their struggles in favour of a deal with imper ialism

NAC MARCH DODGES

Page 4

COMPLAINTS

MAN QUITS

OVER

TORTURE

COVER-UP

The level of anti- their Loyalist stooges in the

RUC

imperialist sentiment With half a dozen RUC among the working class thugs still due for trial on in the occupied six charges of sectarian murder counties of Ireland has Catholic workers, this continued to rise, with a week former seen member of the "Northern demonstration major Police Ireland Authority through Newry. Complaints Commission" The march of several a world-wide confirm publicly that there nas oined thousand compared in size 20 "detective chorus protest at the are with those held during the work the beatings and torture carried savages" height of the Civil Rights notorious Castlereagh interr- out inside Castlereagh. the 1960s, ogation centre in Belfast.

Now Mr Jack Hasard, an movement shouted anti-British independent Protestant and "Suicide" slogans along with denuncia- councillor from Dungannon tions of the sectarian RUC.

has resigned from the Com- Castlereagh was the scene later plaints Committee denounc- men their of the suspicious "suicide" attempted revenge ing its failure to investigate of when they, launched an union militant complaints of police brutal- Brian McGuire, and has for the dispersing alack

IL V

He declared that: been the subject of marchers. years 'In But the growing tensions extensive dossiers documen.

my opinion the ting police violence against police authority is guilty of produced by the anti-imper- continue ialist struggle republican and socialist massive cover-up. They "suspects". simply don't want to know create political problems Ior the British imperialists and Amnesty International about what's going on."

CUTS ISSUE

The right to abortion affairs Such a standpoint might the allacks on under the N'S is under simply. be regaraed as well- .

women s rignts being carned by intentioned confusion through the present on Government attack. behalf of Labour government. the NAC leader- spending cuts, hospital But demonstration ship, if it were not such closures and cutbacks, consistent feature of NAC's with very different emphasis called on March 31 history and the crisis within this is to be of marches and by the National Abortion conferences-and if practical crumbling health service of alternative policies were not Campaign pari that for mean many international day of demon- so stubbornly resisted when women abortion IS strations on the issue. harder to obtain and a Only a few months ago the NAC Legislation trade union dele- greater ordeal than gate conference saw pride of before. Ignoring the the place given to now

CULS

50% of women still have NAC's leaflet blithely calls

NUPE

discredited leader privately for abor- to pay for Parliamentary legislation Alan Fisher. Angry attacks tions because of lack of faci- 'oblige'

NHS

to naut lities-even though one provide sufficient abortion platform against a Workers woman in ten will need an facilities in every area.

Socialist League leaflet that of Labour's abortion at some point in Just which pointed to Fisher's repeated her life. MPs wretched of betrayals of struggles against Any campaign to extend supposed to take this the cuts. abortion rights must focus fight-having lifted not on this scandalous state of finger to of Inseperable resist any Healey's cutbacks in the After a sustained struggle NHS-is not stated. PHOTO: Laurie Sparham, IFL.

by

WSL

members Nor does the NAC leaflet amendment to NAC's make any demand whatever called 'action proposals' was public sector union carried at conference „ne leaders the broader declaring that the fight for labour movement to take abortion rights 'is insepar- any action stop the able from the fight attacks on existing abortion defend and improve the NHS as a whole' Parliament The leaflet for the March 31 demonstration shows, Instead,

NAC

clearly however, that despite this hopes that, by some vague decision the NAC leadership process, the militant awkward coalition -al. demands of the thousands 'lefts', feminists, and Stali- of determined who wil doubt- nists-remains marching on March to restrict the campaign for 31 Will make themselves felt rights to a tooth- abortion in the Houses of Parliament 'single issue' less protest and miraculously emerge as which no way exposes 1n Faded left Fisher the hypocrisy of the Labour reforming legislation. A police surgeon has told the ITV Week- programme end World that he has seer 150-160 prisoners in Castle- reagh have received injuries that could not be self inflicted. Such revelations will not please Labour's 'Minister for Torture' Roy Mason, who has himself been campaign- ing to justity the continued ill-treatment barbaric of republican prisoners in 'H' of Block Long Kesh the concentration camp. But for the British labour movement to put an end to MARCH! Saturday 31 March, assembling af Hyde Park at 1.30 p.m. to march to rally in Trafalgar Square.

and trade union leaders. If, as seems likely, this is be the of the vatlell demonstrations on the issue in other countries, then the of action' naudi udy will amount to little more than a token gesture of a fight. In critically supporting the March 31 demonstration Workers League members and supporters will take up the demand for the abortion fight to be tied for strikes and occupations to prevent hospital closures 25 An earlier Sinn Fein demonstration on the 'H' Block issue police-military violence Ireland it is necessary to do more than embarass Mason-it is crucial to start all-out campaig. throughout the unions and the Labour Party 'his for office removal trom along with the entire Callaghan- Healey leadership The barbarism of military repression will only be brought to an end when the wilndrawn the Irish have people anu basic right to self-determination and

NHS

cutbacks threa- tening existing facilities.

We will be pointing to the role of those Labour 'lefts' and union pose puredictat una. NAC's supporters campaigns. And we will be spelling out the need for a prin- Cucu revoluonav leader. ship to carry through the struggle against women's hand in hand with the struggle for the of capitalist -E/C

I@MEN 5

A SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 14 March, 1979 5,000 on student march students

ADOU

300| from all over the country joined last Friday's grants demonstration called by the

NUS

The Executive had made sure that no workers were . able to attend by calling the march week-day ensuring that the fight for full, mandatory grants tor all students is isolated from pay struggles the public sector and other sections of workers. Gesture Nevertheless, the Stalin- ist-dominated Executive toker gesture towards the public sector workers by having a NUPE bureaucrat on the platform at march. The This

NUPE

Executive Counci member gave demagogic speech about the plight of the low-paid and 'dispute' their "industrial this managed to do once mentioning Winnou 'strike' '£60 words or and 35 hours'.

NUS

President, Trevor Phillips made it clear in his speech that his latest for winning the grants claim lobby Council and Parliament candidates (whether Labour Conservative Liberal) saying that students will only vote for them when their demands are met! Letters Writing letters to poten- tial MPs will not win higher means test or replace discretionary awards with mandatory These demands, and the demand for be protected against inflation assessed of students and trade unioi- will only leon by the likes removing Phillips and building revolutionary leadership the NUS that seeks to join public sector workers and the Labour movement whole in the fight Callaghan-Heales against spending cuts and attacks.

READING

STUDENTS UNION

NAC demonstration in Birmingham

NOT ALL WITCH-HUNTS SUCCEED

SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 14 March, 1979

CHILE EXILE

DEPORTED

A campaign is under- (Revolutionary way in protest at the deportation of Chilean at the airport, denied the socialist Nelson Gutierrez, and the see levelling of frame-up charges meet. against Chilean refugee Perfecto Bena- Deportee vides. The two. men arrived at Heathrow airport lual agreement February- be document -only stopped, strip-searched and brow-beaten by immigration officials. Italy the danger Accosted forcibly returned to Chile.

In Italy Benavides was allowed to.

the plane by leave first, but half an hour waiting later, while for campaign on Gutierrez to be released, he secured his release. was again accosted by immi- officers, who accused him of stealing watch-and "found" one in his bag. row immigration officers.

He was due to appear in court as this article goes to press. place not under a lory but Gutierrez, Meanwhile supposedly Political Commission zove ment-one member of the Chilean MIR publicly ODDOsCu Chilean dictatorship. the Labour sudlce retusal of the léadership To policy of blacking serious steps all y arity with should HasaCs the topics Trade Union Conference on Chile called Solidarity NUR Unity House on Satur- day March 24. Pinochet London N.19 21/2/79 Letter Dear comrades, I read the article in Socialist Press of the 14/2/79 headed No socialism and no demo- the tale of woe told by Jeff cracy' concerning the Harris can history of expulsions any service and bans in the Labour fighting inside Party. Party, in which passing reference was made to ling a few myths about the my own expulsion and C.P. re-instatement. According I feel I must take issue Harris, the C.P. with the whoiv pessimistic atfiliate-but what he omits and one-sided slant of this to say the article as I cannot see how which this was done and the

THE KEY TO THE CUTS FIGHT!

The booklet spells out the for uclessary struggle against the cuts,

NO MORE

• drawing on practical ex-

HOSPITAL CUTS

perience at and the Oxford Nursery Occupation. 30p plus 10p p&p from the WSL 31, Dartmouth Park Hill How to fight the cuts London NW5 1HR. Labour's costly Left) was detained for the whole day before being Euro- neht to enter Britain even for long enough nine year old daughter he had arranged to charade Instead, despite his even- sign stating that had left of his own accord.

Gutierrez was sent back to as a deportee-raising that he be The counting will not start until the voting is he was met oft finished The everywhere. who police, of the held him until an energetic results as they emerge from his behalf each country will make exciting Euro-night on tele- This incident follows on vision. the revelations of the racist "virginity tests" carried out Get your swingometer on Asian women by Heath- ready now!" .This holiserst Yet these acts of harass- desperate La0our veekiv s ment and degradation take effort to whip up some interest Party

LIC

Labour that declared itself bloody Hypocrisy PHOTO: Andrew Wiard, Repor This, and other examples that reveal the hypocrisy of vererl s Chile and the trade union im plement or take in solid- the Chilean be raised at the by the Chile Campaign Labour conference delegates ultra-leftism which Stese characterised the Cally history of the British C.P The actual letter applying to affiliate in 1923 contained the sirring phrase "we intend to destroy you' and went on to point that the infant C.P. saw itself as trying to replace the possibly be of Labour Party socialists small wonder that the

LADOUT

the right wing were able to use this to deny affiliation Firstly, it is worth dispel- discredit and the WIllt application to affiliate.

Expulsions to comrade asked to Having been rebuffed the C.P. then stupidly provoked expulsions of leading ItS militants in various constit- What uencies. Lenin thought about these antics can be clearly deduced from Left Wing Communism C.P. from 1927 onwards gradually swung into supporting the 'Third which Period' Ilne Dialn and policies actually characterised social- all-out democracy greater danger than fascism! Consequently disavowed interest in

EGA

the joining the Labour Party-a stupid ultimatism that still this day characterises British Stalinism. Bourgeois parties Equally, throughout the 193.0s the for DUSEl popular front including the bourgeois parties used by the Labour was

COSTIV

enarade "The Big forced the Euro Parlament: Ceol tor elec imsthe ane 'We impotent and Parlament ludicrously extravacany European Parliament: are in the Hacks A semingly. unending line hat isn't careerist hacks, and crypto-Tories have made way through Labour's bureaucratic selection procedure largely consultative. in hopes of winning a well-paic power -and euro-aunt is dune not to give it any more. All that is lacking is any So there enthusiasm within the working .VUl Ilamme class and to do anything anyway! But is ine work the Labour Weekly gives a work ot one ot tnem Lavish actuunll auttis the working cover eight Imootent detween and Luxembourg! Labourite February debate initiatec right to discredit the C.P. examples, Ken and its fellow-travellers.

expelled in even told cimesI nevin one Labour Conference that "The only united front we need is the …Labour move- ment, the Labour Party and National the unions' Formally, this was years later. actually to the left of the The line pedalled by the C.P., which saw its 'unity' even with Tories- Drog essve am ongst whom it of other parties. even included Churchill! Small wonder the move- : Successful ment was thoroughly de- moralised and confused - you quote and totally incapable of fighting a principled cam- successful waged paign against the expulsion C evet difficult circumstances. of left-wingers. To swing to date, come up there is really no basis for led the profoundly defeatist to class Taverne, and sceptical line taken in the article. anca ly ever one. Fought off was confident that the comrades in st. Expulsions have been recently attacked successfully fought off. by win their appeals. nec av ozens o mıaı! lo sum. and socialists in the last tew tant to work seriously and years-precisely because the movement is incomparably witch-hunts stronger and more comba- occur without tive than it was either in the hysterical and over-reacting.

1930s or 1950s Most Much of the left is now sions of more sophisticated and occurred because aware of the need to fight have beer tenaciously to remain in the of concept mass party of the working and/or have class. oughly sectarian quote only a few I O Page 5

LABOUR,

PARTY

Even Labour Weekly's special supplement on Euro MPs battie aamit ine tutility voting elect a which will analsı dina expose wnat is being done or suggested by the powers that European Commun- ment Labou oo Ly RoNe. one power Euro-Parlia- "The European Parliament is . It has little Labour s policy you have it! Turn „ streets ' to fight for the election of a panel Labour place sekers to a body which nobody Euro-fat cat Jenkins Denleves snould nave the powe Cunningham on textile imoort: added and a question by Lord Kennet lure-to on tobacco consumption prove now hard and rewarding The of a Euro MP, must supplement connirm the worst tears ot many Labour Party activists-that the ot a month's June elections will be a costly fiasco ine party, laying the for an even more costly fiasco Callaghan steers Party In a series of lavish expense-

ITILU

enerarcectior much as the

•INES

unnamec witnout even but no doubt tireless servant of pretence of a socialist. policy Only, one thing is managed orereo ds European icelniy consoldtion

VITA

funds oozing from every pore oooies. soread Rome Brussels Euro Parlament's socialist Bordeaux, Brussels (again), Lifle u entouer pay for the supple cast ment. Amone ine monuionts of thi involvement in the Thus their political bank. proceedings lULe V • can De. niaden benina a by George screen of apparent affluence.

Coates was the middle 1960s from the Nottingham Labour Party, only to win a long fight for reinstatement and to poll nearly 100,000 votes when he stood for the Rencit Executive a lew attempted expul- sions in Newham South in 1976 were defeated, as was similar moves in a number Even my own case that thai fight can the most to the left inside the Labour Party has traitors like Prentice and Mayhew quitting the party- Prentice process if there only too happy for Marxists 1 am fairly and socialists isolate themselves: it is imperative Helens and Oxford that we do not play into will also their hands. Trotsky, in his interview up, it is impor- Collins with the late 1930s, correctly stressed the centrally inside-fighting off, need for revolutionaries in when they Britain to have a serious attitude to work inside the getting Labour Party Socialist Press successful exclu- Perhaps would like to left-wingers reprint this Anave the latter sadly neglected interview as of any Gevolg alscussion U1. this important topic? fight _now to taken a thor- Best wishes, Yours fraternally, attitude. The right in the party are Keith Veness

WORKERS LEADERS

SUAREZ ELECTION V

Page 6 The victory of the Democratic Centre Union (UCD) in the Spanish elections of March 1 was a product not of the strength of the Spanish bourgeoisie, but of the treachery of the main workers' the parties over last three years since the death of Franco. Both the Socialist Party (PSOE) and the smaller CP • collaborated with Adolfo Suarez and his "reforming" Francoists imposing what purports to a democratic. consti- be tution. The working class, how- clearly have seen enough that Socialist- une Communist-bached dHU democratic constitution leaves intact not only the content laws of the Franco dictatorship the diso hated. and still repressive, omnipresent armed police and civil guard. Untouched These apparatuses, like Franco's army, have beer completely untouched the Suarez-Gonzales-Carrillo reforms. Spain As went to the polls, 100 over political prisoners remained jail without charged, Denne striking municipal workers the army were araltea into as a strike-breaking measure, and in other disputes pickets were being arrested.

When this is the kind of state that Gonzales and Carrillo and the other PSOE and CP leaders have helped create, was little wonder that many workers been treated to an election stayed at home rather than campaign in which both the voting for leaders whose

PSOE

leaderships ana seemed SO little strenuously refused to fight different from those of the in the name of the indepen- officials former of the dent interests the Franco dictatorship. working class. The poll in the March 1 Both workers' parties ran 68%-some- elections was a campaign not for the right what higher the unan 1n to form a government them- referendum consulumona selves but for the right to last Dec. 15 but of the Join a considerably below the first main post-Franco elections

JOLICCUR

ponuca formation, the UCD case of the CP, In the Abstentions this position was explicit.

Throughout cam- Tne And the high level of paign CP leader Carrillo said abstentions this time was that the country needed a nol ine resul of the intiu- government national ence of the Basque national- unity" including all the "democratic forces". ists who (left and right) participated 1n these elec. tions, but rather of some Juggler disillusion the country as a whole especial- This category Ly among the working class.

Carrillo's view means the Workers have observed CP, the PSOE, the UCD and not only the PSOE and CP (depending his mood) leadership helping to streng- the ever further right then the 'liberalised' Democratic Coalition led br regime still run in its essen- the Francoist butcher. tials by Francoists, but also Manuel Fraga. the persistent Carrillo, role of the however, 1s a reformist and Stalinist party skiful juggler with words.

and trade union bureaucrats He managed to combine sabotaging struggles for the call for this grand class better mugner wages. condi- collaborationist coalition tions and national and other wiin a denunciation of the rights. PSOE for preparing to enter In addition they had just a coalition une excluding the CP and for "no differ- being, therefore, ent from the UCD" Whether or not this line of argument had any effect, the CP did increase its part lamentary strength from 20 to 23 and its share of the vote by 2%. Friendly The PSOE's campaign was based first on scornfully ignoring the CP and second friendly

ILOIC

Ject of the UCD, Criticisin entry paring the way tor into a class collaborationisț coalition-which its leaders never to Carel mention. government" not any socialist way alone workers' government. condition for entry into coalition with the UCD, however, was that the socialists should make striking gains in the elections. Collaborationist Gonzalez and the collaborationist leaders* could then argue that the UCD had been forced into coalition by the strength of the PSOE: Gonzalez-putting on a left face for the electorate?

These plans, however have been seriously upset if not totally destroyed by the results which were univer- sally regarded as a stinging setback for the PSOE Not, of course, that the PSOE leaders, despite their protestations, wished obtain a majority in these The PSOE leaders in par- ticular feared above all the prospect of returning with a majority which would pro- massive demand auce from the whole working class for the formation of a of workers' parties to implement programme in the interests of the working class. Relief At least Gonzalez and Carrillo will breathe a sigh of relief that they have not been forced to this. The failure, however, to significantly increase their reduces the prestige especially of Felipe Gonzalez to such an extent as to threaten his control within the workers' move- ment. So maintain his to own position (especially a few the WeeK

COT

PSOE's 28th Congress) SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 14 Maroh, 1979 Gonzalez not surprisingly They can see that this greeted the electoral setback will increase pressure on the with combination CP leaders from their own throwing the blame else- working class base to where and peevish, the oppose reactionary demagogic display of oppo: policies of the government.

sition to the CDU govern- After expressing satisfac ment. tion the CP's modest at The PSOE, he said, did electoral Stalinist Allis not fulfil electoral leader Santiago Carrillo tations because of the insisted after the elections "scare tactics" used by the on his demand for a coali

UCD,

and also because the tion government with the PSOE in "the last election UCD-explicitly ruling out had already reached the alliance of any workers 'ceiling of its votes in the' parties. present situation! He recognised that the Gonzalez publicly time was "not yet ripe" fos refused to congratulate CP Dale alon Suarez on his victory on the government though that grounds that he "did not remains fils all congratulate liars" them Must govern alone" declared he days after the election, "the He insists that the PSOE

PSOE

ALLO

now govern con- must critical' 'and not destructive junction with the UCD opposition" "I believe," he said at Though this does not conference last week, press automatically rule out the 'that the PSOE will come early establishment of off a good deal worse if it' coalition government not in the Government than likely if it enters it. less seemed the day "We are still in a perior before the election. The approval of transition: It is almost certain that doesn' of the Constitution after their election setback total mean politici the PSOE leaders stability, and there are stil now be of greater use to the themes SUlt bourgeoisie opposition developed especially that o In than in government. regional autonomies Only though "opposi- which the means game tion" to the

UCD

alternatives politica Gonzalez win back some of power is not permitted. his lost prestige and restore "In today's situation in his control both within the the country would no King Juan Carlos and ( party and in the workers'.

have been opportune to movement as a whole move towards a government Such "opposition" of the left." however, will clearly not Treacherous touch on any policies of the

UCD

but only. as in the clearer statement of past, trivial questions of the treacherous policies of methods and style the CP would scarcely Through the campaign possible. Gonzalez supported limits, called for support for Carrillo alludes to what the viciously repressive every worker militant in Forces of Public Order and Spain today is well áware of rejected demands for self -the fact that basic demo- determination or even are very cratic rights far serious degree of autonomy from having been gained in in the Basque country. Spain. The CP leaders, however, In fact, serious attempts are strongly opposed to any have been made by sections form of PSOE Francoist of the military

VDDUSILIOI

to the bourgeoisie, however within the last six months fraudulent. to stage a coup d'etat.

AVED WAY FOR NEW

Stalinists seek 'cordial relations' with army SOCILSTFRESS. nesresdas it Main i9';

ICTORY

of They rather to Many bitter lessons Serve •democratic rights history prove that the only restrict and the working towards possible route weaken democratic class the face ot the establishing of the Spanish of fighting offensive rights and fascism is through the inde- capitalist class TIne renewed fascist of pendent struggle threat working class. Icactlull treacher- requires the In face of the This estab- a united front policies of lishment of Ous ine roue and CP, was there an alter- workers' organisations native party in Spain which of all and the rerecaor need for forms of collaboration with represented The unity and independence of the bourgeoisie and its the working class? parties. founding the Candidates of the Fourth programine (the International In the third article next Programme) Transitional week, we attempt W111 makes clear: answer this question by "A merciless exposure of of examining number the theory practice oI campaigns. the 'People's Front' is there- We will analyse the fore the first condition for a the Maoist positions struggle 'left' TeVO UL a y of the and parties, against fascism... 'socialist' nationalists Stalinist Santiago Carrillo Euskadi, and of two organ- and the rest of the Spanish isations claiming adherence CP leadership move to Trotskyism. : precisely the opposite direc- The Revolutionary Com. tion.

(LCR),

munist League Spanish section the Inopportune

USFI,

its oresentcu

UWI

candidates in 35 provinces, In the name of fighting the danger of fascism and of smalet com ulse "democracy League (LC) presented a list Carrillo brands the indepen- candidatès

LIVC

the title struggles of the provinces under dent "inoppor- "Workers' Alliance" but working withdrew before the voting, tune". calling for a critical vote to seeks he unel place, the main workers' parties in to tie the working class to Spain most the "reforming" Francoists who have instituted a policy Euskadi to the LCR An examination of these which at every turn restricts point to campaigns Cali important lessons in• DUlLIC the fight for principled intervention bourgeois and for the CeCLIOlis method of the Trotskyist Transitional Programme. Extracts from the election Spanish programme. The role ot the &r nas been crucial in bringing about the ueen Sofia casting their votes democratc colsuutuuu. We were not TAVOlT OI elementary even the most having general elections now.

urgent thing was to con- The democr c Ignls-such and right strike Tine Tront une mos biaxun solicdi organise freely, the right to and economic problems-unem- free expression, the rights of ployment, and not delaying (abortion and autonomies

WUILCL

and ée mineoA e eCr contraception) or the rights homosexuals, With your vote on March 1 national sen-celemnne- give the elections a new Vulcall tion the for Basques, «cain neeo Dollcy Catalans and other national- democratic concentration and a of a pro. ities of Spain. majority government eres ive KI Shameless To get that the decisive thing in Communist an of Carrillo's politics voto• ana 09u. Therefore, The nsertn vore l. shameless cooperation with the Communist vote which will the bourgeoisie and influence the democratic force! one workers' betrayal of A« A whoe 1о 1:кв Ino &rcoln1 struggle after another do the interests of the workers and the progress of the whole not and cannot gain demo- cratic rights as he claims.

people. elec- Extracts trom the toral programme of the

PSOE:

Freedom is now in your hands.

The enorm enormous goges wic people deposited in the socialists in the elections June Was rerlecteo in the tact inat one m three voters considered us their reorcscitalivcs. first proposea, tne point of our programme, the making of a Constitution which recognises an• qua antees to dl Spaniards their rights and free- through dvdcce TormS OI covernmen. The Constitution , backed approved by sanctioned by people and ov tne the King. Meanwhile we socialists have worked to make other points zorocramme reably strengthening the nascent demo- and carrying cratic system the controlling the WOrk government from a constructive opposition. Reform of the State. Once the constitution is in of the new Cortes to develop its with beginning

COTILBUL,

retorm or ine •iate. so that i Is of service of the people. Among the primary questions here are: *Laws of Public Function which increase the responsibility and effectiveness of the Admin.

Istratiol orcanic

THE

Armed Forces to accentuate the the people with unity of ariny. аеталю national territory and the constitutional order. relationship *A

HOW

mutua ane corela CORTICeNCE the people and the forces of public order. Terrorism the mortal of the enemy workers and of •omorauc dovance.

TOGAV

in oaln Terrorism " essentially that of ETA. To fight eradicate it, the against it and PSOE makes call for 'firm government' formulas of salvation which try Proof of that are the laws we have proposed the again to rob the people of the rights and freedoms so labor- than all the other Parlia.

nore mentary groups put together.

iousiy gained Also it makes more difficult 1... reversal the economic carried constant the laws perfecting the Spain

WOT

Crisis WnICI na. presented by the worsened result covernment. ottne governments of wanted which haven't Unity haven t knowt gow то таке те precise measures in time Fulfilling the desire for unity broad sections our all, we have carried out felt by societv mnere ts tel te neca ror the integration vese a new government which is able socialist currents into the main. to drag the country out of stag- stream of the PSOE so as to be halion. tasks of 8÷8 To contront nt government from the strength Rights unity, the power of the or aur youth, The ouarante the force our A government which carrie: whole of out a firm policy of defence of implantation Spain and the experience of the the rights and freedoms TaRUS 100 years of our history.

nisec COnSTITUTIOn A firm government. developing in a progressive the way. But peaceful path been which puts towards democracy Tas the criminally obstructer InLO operation reclona terrorism and the nostalgias of autonomies from the perspective of solidarity and the yesterday which offer pretext magic to capacity tor sell-coveramert monil arion or tne workers ane ANNEDOSTOnOT IN citizens is essential right and the social democrats who that a Also it is just as fundamental system whose own internal logic leads to 10% To omcue a Kidos or socol support or which workers permanently The jobs he definiton tot provide a supposed justification without CP definition Tor tartorismn. In this sense what is urgent new functions and tasks for the are solutions to the problems of public sector, and the creation non-discriminatory Tue autonomies. unemproyment youth and all kinds of social small conoltIons

TOI

an• medium enterprise. marginalisation. 1...) For a progressive alternative face of, the economic and social For a torelon policy ot peace and non-alignment crisis. A democratic Spain needs a For a new model of develop ment. The grave economic crisis, policy atact coexIstcuce and its evolution during 1978, friendship and cooperation with all countries. nave orovee tnat ar tnis ume the central problem unemploy. is ment. prooramme consolie ate and develop democracy. A problem which, along with We Communists will fight in inflation, cannot reso ver without true global the and the COrTe. amone masses forthi ir tor mise.

which

_LVE

en lesisti offer discussion important expansion of public works (housing, education, among who e Deod e and among the other democratic and health. public transport). unem progressive forees elected to the ployment, insurance and and worthwhile Tutute rarhament After such a discussion a pensions. Faz: - A government which when it • gives uncerakin(

TUITII.

what it has undertaken in all its details. Invest A ove chart oscio der. takes position economic cleansine wuica out.

an end to the discouragement of the entrepreneurs by stimulating mem to uvest ana puls dul cuie to the bad state ot the worker: by encouraging them to work more ana better government possessing authority to resolve tensions in the Armec SOne sections Forces and Security Forces A government able to create an atmosphere of understanding ano soricariti witn the baso ul country and which uses imagin.

ation, knowledge and decision anti-terrorist

TOT

evreculve struggle. New jobs government which creates newoos maroton lavesunei l infrastructure housing and collective works which improve LIt cona tion. • 01 • TE and city suotros which are at present geared to create delinquency than for uveTHiC community lite Which gives sufficient benefit thos who cannot which ends the find

WOUR,

and inefficienc, COr OtOn the Social Security system and is ready to humanised services and sufficient pensions.

f.. .. We need government which Spain finally makes happy,

SUST

saTe orosoerous and free country, worthy of the respect and recognition which ItsnIstor ¡rs culture ano. lt. people deserve Government could be formec with a parliamentary majority ano witn true dooular sudcort capable successfully confronting the next four years aemocratk avance consolidation.

Page 8

GUEST

REVIEW

ART

FROM

THE

OUTSIDE

In 1932 in Copenhagen, 'Outsiders' is a rich collec- Leon Trotsky delivered tion of these sparks of genius from the suppressed what was to be his last depths the public speech. demonstrating brilliantly Reflecting on the future how human creative power of humanity he had this to the most Call even say: extreme forms of alienation.

'It is true that humanity has more than once brought Not a school forth giants of thought and action who tower over their The 'Outsiders' are not a like school or movement of art contemporaries The summits in a range of moun- usua sense work shown tains. here has been race has a the artists' numan assemedrom right be proud of its collections, to private from Shakespeare, mental hospitals and insti- Aristole. Darwin, Beethoven, Goethe, tutions and even from com- Marx, Edison and Lenin. mercial galleries. But why are they so rare?

The organisers of the Above all because almost exhibition set Have them - exception they selves the task of present- out of the upper and came ing a collection of work by middle classes. Apart from creators immune or resis- tant to the Surround of genius in the suppressed culture. depths are The exhibition itself Ene people choked before remarkable. they can Over 40 artists are represented by Durst into lame. But also because the paintings, drawings, sculp. process of creating, develop- tures, models and assem- ing and educating a human blages of astonishing inven- being have been and remain tiveness and originality. On essentially of this ground alone it can be chance, not • subjected unreservedly recommended.

consciousness and will " But there is much more The exhibition to interest us than Just tne Joel Negri: Charrette avec une jambe display of novel works. As revolutionaries wilbe concerned with the relation- ships the content between of the work and the social context which it is produced. 'Outside' is not an value but rather one pole on a social scale.

The of example purest alienated the creativity exhibition are probably the pencil drawings of the artist 'Max' who has spent most psychiatric care Many of the artists have spent at least some of their time in mental institutions others maintain DU! normal working life; devoting their non-working hours to their art. Alienation The social alienation to be found of then ways working ranges all the way from the abstract formalised LOlalv paintings Augustin Lesage to the explicit social criticism in the tableaux of Francis Marshall. interesting consider the extent the works show reflect the stress of the proletarian condition In the cases of several of the the artists question easily answered. cannot se The paintings and draw- ings that we see are repres- entations artists' hallucinations visions, whose origins we can only guess al Compulsion This is certainly true of of the many institutional- ised artists, but also others who become subject to some compulsion to take up art work. Lesage, for Ernie Stubbins reviews the exhibition 'Outsiders' show at on the Hayward Gallery, South Bank, London. example, was a coal miner until one day while working at the coal face he heard a voice telling him to become an artist. His paintings were so rigourously abstract and formalised as to defy all interpretation. In other cases we can begin to glimpse the social basis for the and economic disturbance of the artist's life. Stolen Heinrich Anton Muller for example was a smail farmer who invented machine for pruning grape- vines. His idea stolen was and exploited and his reaction • this blow led him eventually to a psychia- tric hospital. There he went through a phase of producing compli- cated but useless machines before the turning remarkable' sequence drawings by and paintings which he is represented in the exhibition. Some of the work can be interpreted as no more than display of Ine • psycho- pathological symptoms. Fantasies This would be true of the sado-masochistic fantasies Joseph Sell, the remarkable pseudo-anatom- ical drawings by an anony- mous Hungarian artist. Others, such as August Neter, out record their hallucinations systematic way their

TOT

own benefit or for others •For several of the artists it is clear that the purpose of the work is the creation ot an environment more to their liking than the one in which they live. Sometimes this strictly internal fantasy

SOCIALIST PRESS,

Wednesday 14 March, 1979 August Walla: Adam and Eve in Paradise world, such as that created built the great metal towers by Aloise Corbaz, showing in Los Angeles herself centre of a It would be possible wonderful world of love and write volumes the colour. individuals whose works are slown nere 13 volumes For me the most lasting memory of the whole exhib- Another remarkable ition was series of example of this kind is the tableaux by Francis recently discovered Henry Marshall showing stages Darger, hospital cleaner the life of woman who spent all his spare time Mauriette creating a massive illustrated epic 'Realms of the Unreal' Bucket about revolution children against adults. By All the figures are the time of his death he had assembled from discarded completed 13 life in school and enormous materials volumes of this work. life, of adolescenc tamily Rarer are the cases where and religion the proletarian artists set out to French The final poor. create physical world • scene is, significantly, not which corresponds to their the death of Mauriette but "Mauriette has found a job'.

internal requirements Deservedly famous •We see Mauriette as d these the cleaner, on her hands and postman Cheval who spent knees with head 33 years building an ideal slumped into her bucket. in his garden palace' Lyon, and Simon Rodia, telephone who

TROTSKYISM

TODAY

INSIDE:

• Mandel's dance with Stalinism • The significance of the Transitiona Programme The U.S. . SWP 40 years on NOW OUT! Trotskyism Today No.

4. Price 45p plus 20p p&p. Still available, Trotskyism Today No. 2; price 50p plus 20p p&p. (No. 3 sold out). Available from : WSL, 31, Dartmouth Park Hill, London NW5 1HR.

ERITREA: where do CP and IMG stand?

SOCIALIST PRESS.

The Eritrean people in their struggle for liberation need the sup- of all port socialists throughout the world, than more before. The toll from the latest offensive launched by the Ethiopian military dictator- allies of the ship and the Derg has been colossal. Newsletter In December issue, its 'Mekalih Sewrana' (monthly newsletter of the Eritrean People's Liberation Front) gave the tollowing balance sheet of losses suffered since offensive began on lo November: *154 villages heavily damaged or destroyed. *4,700 people killed or people" *8,000 more being treated for wounds inflicted in the raids. *100,000 people home- less, suffering from hunger and disease. All these figures are in addition the of earlier casualties bases the war-tor -example. the ¼ million refugees in the Sudan. No support

EPLF

The receives no effective support from any state external force which can help to deal with these problems. Medical supplies are urgently needed and they can be provided only by assistance from those forces internationally which support the Eritrean people in their struggle for self- and indepen- dence. that Providing material aid is the responsibility of the labour movement in this And it is the clear country. duty of all those who call revolutionaries unemselves and proletarian internation- alists that, the British labour meets that responsibility.

meeting in London revealed just how much work remains to done to achieve even such limited objectives. Discussion Called by the Eritrea Support Committee and the Workers Film Association, the meeting on 25 February the Scala, Tottenham Road, fell into two parts-a the film 'Sawrana' was watched by some 100 people, who then moved into a session of dis- cussion. Speakers from the EPLF reported briefly on the

WILLLY

aucement Teached between the ELF and EPLF January, which provides for complete rusion of military forces and preparation lowaras political fusion. In giving an account recent developments within they also reported Entred, that the meeting Sierra Leone Mengistu between

NURKERS

FIR

Sparham (head of the Derg) and Numeiri (president of the Sudan) had broken up when Numeiri refused to Mengistu's demands for ban on all refugees entering the Sudan from Eritrea, and the cutting oI al

DUDLY -

lines the liberation forces The Ethiopian Embassy had been invited to send a representative; but materialised. Absentee Yet the emissary of the Derg was only one among the notable absentees.

EPLF,

Aside from the Eritrean Relief Association and Eritrean Support Com- only political _nei tendencies which identified themselves were the Organ- of Women in Africa, isation the CPB and the Workers Socialist League.

DENALID LEAGLE

WORKERS

NOON AREA

SOCIALI

LEAGUERKI

INSTRULT THE 4TH

iKOC

INTERNAT)

SODALIST RE

WSL supporters march on the December demonstration in support of Eritrean struggle Where were all the other Britain. exposed quickly enough the "revolutionary' organisations In December, this British light-minded attitude of Britain? the 'United' Jett in Socialist Challenge SeCuon and Secretariat of the Fourth

IMG

to producers Silent IMG? International was struggles in Eritrea: conspicuously absent from a Socialist Challenge had " 'Russia's Vietnam' is an demonstration called by the carried a notice of the meet- inexact and incorrect des- Eritrean of Associations ing its edition But CalLION ine Workers and Students in the For those February who emotional level it does sum protesting UK, at the role are horrified what what going played by the Soviet Union going on in Eritrea-and for Eritrea." in the war. anvone else'. Perhaps some sophisti- But if any members of again, it was the

ING

Pabloite cated Val

WSL

which the the provided Marxist explain to us the political Group then the present, Councen of this crude British labour movement. ther remained stunningly journalistic ploy? silent. Since that time, false and The bulk article ot the fleeting hopes have been Perhaps the comrades of contained information raised by Socialist the

IMG

which should have appeared been too Challenge. long Socialist exhausted through being Challenge-but better late 'excited' by the Guilty than never. to be 'horrified' by in iran. Yet two statements the war in Eritrea. Under the heading But this is not the first cannot go unchallenged. 'Eritrea: the guilty and the Driven uncomfortably time that the

IMG

• has full-page • bi silent, article the USFI's increasing wor- well away chosen to keep appeared in the edition of ship of the Cuban from events called by the 25 January. TeVOlU tion and the supposed Eritrean organisations in The opening paragraph "revolutionary internation- alism" of Castro's left Stalinist leadership, the author has to provide some cover for the Cuban bureau- cracy's complicity the Derg's colonial war of geno- cide: "As Angola the Cubans are doubtless moved some healthy considera- tions. But the root ot the betrayal in Eritrea lies in their failure to understand that for the support Ethiopian revolution is not the thing same • supporl Derg-indeed the two are incompatible. Doublethink It would be difficult to find astounding example of doublethink. and the Cuban castro leaders have intervened Ethiopia precisely because understand that situa- they tion only too well. Their rhetoric be may EPLE freedom fighters on captured tank more radical, but the Stalinists in Havana are only following the instructions of their Kremlin tutors in the of vicious arts revolution. Such 'distor- grotesque tions of Marxism are not unexpected from the IMG British heirs of Pabloism But perhaps. in its way, the other statement is even more breath-taking: "even on the larc occasions mentions Eritrea, the left has almost ignored the possibility that Cuban and Soviet troops have been used." Socialist Press for has given Cons sien coverage to the struggles in Eritrea, and paid consider- able role played by the Stalinists.

But of course left' une for the

IMG

means essentially Socialist Challenge, Tribune and the Morning Star. And within this even blessed trinity, the Socialist Challenge article was actually tail ending Tribune!

Unanswered The Socialist question Press asked the IMG back in December still remains un- answered: why do you not give practical support to the Eritrean liberation struggle? But if the IMG, SWP and assorted "Trotskyists' of the British left : teared to tread in Scala last month, Vishnu Sharma, leading CP member and Indian Workers Associa tion leader rushed right in.

After a WSL speaker had argued that it was necessary build in the labour • movel uelanic end to the Soviet and Cuban involvement in fritrea this 'Marxist' condemned this as "a call for an internationa war against communism" Sharma • also had the audacity to cite the support given oy the Soviet Union and its allies at the UN in 1950 to the right of the Eritreans to self-determina- tion and also the fact that Cuban past the bureaucracy had assisted in training EPLF fighters. Unfortunately he neglected to mention how the Soviet bureaucracy maintained its 'principled . stand until recent times- for example, by giving Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie a3 birthday present two jets and a heli- copter for his personal use!

Demand But this Stalinist did point out correctly that not CPs supporter Soviet policy in the Horn of Africa. We therefore take the demand raised by a SP speaker meeting: where does the CPGB stand - on Eritrea? Does the CP give its clear support to une bignt or cne Eritrean self- to determination? Does the CP clearly condemn the policy being pursued by the Soviet Union and Cuba in Eritrea?

And where do other left wing groups in Britain stand on these questions? Any refusal to agree to basic two points Inese means alliance with counter-revolution Eritrea. On the basis of these agreement with two points, an effective solidar- ity movement can be built assist in defending and advancing the struggles of the Eritrean people By John Parker

Page 10

INDUSTRIAL

Garners action day-March 24 Support building strike) received another throughout representative from the up the strike committee appealing for labour movement for support. the Garners strikers who Socialist Press has contin- have called for a Day of pointed to the ually fact Action on 24 March in that the bureaucracy of the TGWU Region 1 wants the solidarity. with their Day of Action 24 marathon struggle for February to be a failure.

union recognition. Late material A £30 donation arrived this week from as far afield Their sabotage still Dunlop, Liverpool. reflected in the extremely Dunlop workers themselves appearance any

TALE

a bitter fight against lace material declaring official redundancies. backing. building Support Indeed, although 700 the Liverpool docks. up on letters have now gone out to individuals, lllally Union Action branches will not be able to discuss March 24 in time to This weekend a represen- mobilise support. tative from the strike com- mittee went to address the Mobilise! Stalinist-dominated LCDTU We appeal again to every Conference demand action back up their reader. Mobilise for the Day verbal declarations of solid- Action! Support the demands of the strike com- arity. Tuesday the Joint strike Un miltee lor adequate Committee Stewards Shop a serious mobilisation of the Fords Dagenham on the picket lines, full- blacking plant (who made and the national substantial financial

TGWU

Conference to plan earlier the the victory of the strike.

worldlum

DON'T GO INTO

THE FIGHT BLINDFOLD!

SOCIALIST

For a

GET

clear

PRESS

lead in the struggle against wage control, cuts and redundancies

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NEWS

An illuminating example of the open "pro-scab' role of the police at Garners came on Friday night. particularly naive clearly still constable believed his job was preserve the law, rather than the working crush Class responded to pickets' com- plaints against a scab waiter who had seized placards from the picket line. He arrested the man, but later embarrassed report to pickets: "They're letting him go. occupied The occupation of St. Columba's hospital, a small terminal care hospital on the edge of Hampstead Heath, was officially begun last Monday. The hospital is under threat ot being closed by Kensington, Westminster and Chelsea Area Authority within Health three weeks and trom the than moment the closure wal announced, the workers in the hospital mainly members. expressed their deter mination to tient the decision At Monday's meeting, the staff formed an occupation committee witn Nore steward Tom Dykes as its secretary.

They also passed a resolution to the NUPE Executive demand that they full and give official support to the occupa. tion, and otticial backing to any strike action taken in defence t local NUPE branches the uselld the local district health joint shop stewards committee which resolved cannass meetines in their branches and argue for strike action if any attempt was close the hospital also been giver support nas the Emergency Bed Service

COHSE

who played a vital role in keeping the

EGA

open, and by workers, who have pledged not and Cross picket ine remove patients. Support strong IT is oovious inal support tor occupation. . is very strong the and the fact that the fight was already being LaKel oncon Division oT NUre toe and Westminster

NUPE

NEC

Trades Council will make it very OTTICUlT

TOM

Ine traoe Un O leadership and local labour ! leaders to ditch the struggle.

ase create cens for the collaborationist policies of Communist Party since the David who is a relatial Westminister tarv races Council, also sits on the AHA close the which to nosoital! Police move in during the last day of action My superiors copped out. I can't understand it's it, They are always sickening. keen enough arrest DicKers. Pickets did however learn the scab's name and address.

It is Mr. Razon Bonfas, 133, Cambridge Street, Victoria,

SWI.

Messages of support and further information and the Day for centen Action from Garners' Strike Committee, TGWU Offices, 12/13 Henrietta St., London, W1. St Columba's Hospital Given strength of the ane resistance to the cosure which added to by the fact GPs likely local thal continue reterring patients, It Is vital hospital now occupation continues to give a strong lead in defending St. Columba's.

Committee The occupation committee must meet reculary to keed int hospital staff fully involved in the fight and a public meeting raise funds ano oroanise local suodort The bureaucrats on the AHA been delayed in have already attem ois _ close lwo otner hospitals in the area, due to the resistance of the local JSSC and unev are now desperate to makt drastic cuts in health spending.

Cuts such these will as continue un ess Guild sector union leadership is forced lead a national campaign of to defeat the activi Caraohan covernment s of social service cuts and cash limits. The Poisone Well 20p NOW OUT! The WSL discussion document for submis. adopted Congress. Price 20p plus 10p Park tri, Loston THR. rom WSL. 31 Dartmouth SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 14 March, 1979 mele STOp WSL: we offer a lead Whichever way you look at the struggles and prob lems now facing the working class throughout the world, one thing stands out above all: the necessity for a prin- cipled leadership capable of leading the struggle for state power and the establishment of a socialist society.

The massive revolutionary upheaval that has now toppied Ine into conflict with the restrictions placed upon it "leaders serves as a vivid reminder that socialisi revolution is not only possible, but essential if the apparatus of capitalist repression and exploitation is to be destroyed once and But such a revolution requires a conscious Marxist leadership And the fight to construct such a leadership is inseparable from the fight in the day to-day struggles of the working class internat tonal tor the orincioes. mernoo ano cemanos or the rotskvis Transitional Programme. • The Workers Socialist League has time proved be the only movement in Britain that fights again banenty ana relenwessly on such a borsoective are movement does not shrink from wue tone Tene even head-on battles with the existing leaders of the working class whether wingers, 'left' talking these 'leaders' open right Lavourites or oldinists orine communist rary Of course this policy has made us no friends in the trade union and Labour bureaucracy.

or r amongst the opportunists an centrists of the British 'left. But it has meant that the WSL ha consistently offered the most powerful lead to workers in struggle.

In each both in • struggle set out to prove to workers theory ana in dacoce mne necess o a new.

, revolutionary leadership and for a programme of transitional demands which, starting from today's problems and today's consciousness within working class, lead workers in struggle to grasp the need for socialist revolution This is why the WSL has featured at the forefront of pay struggles in British Leyland and the public sector, in the fight in struggles against the cuts, «cainst recuncancies ano closures unionisation fights, and the fight for democracy in the labour movement. This method of approach - reiectino any descent to simol‹ trade union militancy or concession to the labour bureaucracy - is of course essential not only in Britain but internationally.

In taking up international issues in the labour movement the woL stresses nor oniv me dorication or eritico workers to suonor the Irish liberation struggle and revolutionary struggles such as those in Iran and Southern Africa, but also the necessity for the the reconstructon o

NO SKVISI

rourth international as organising centre of the world party of socialist revolution the biggest movement on the left in Britain; The is not but its approden to born tneory and practice make It. the only really serious revolutionary movement.

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Fill in the form peow or moe earns or aoorozen vou local branch, who will gladly supply more information. about ou programme, policies, and perspectives.

MORE DETAILS

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

Journalists 'no' to strikes to SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 14 March, 1979 Leaders of the National to the call was Union of Journalists reaped that delegates from Bristol had their the whirlwind • of been mandated to mot sacked one day strikes. betrayal of the journalists Bristor was Nottingham houses the weekend. national strike and had Less than two months ago almost unanimously to northern organiser Crike In January unearno for the NUJ, witch-hunted calls ham journalists were reinstated to keep the national pay strike Other chapels on the going until 28 Simile roley Nottingham -venine rOST- for taking part in ine strike-were reinstated. Bower weekend Pocated a simi met one programme of one strikes throughout the pro- day vincial press Nottingham. Call defeated Andrew Wiard The result was a defeat by 84 votes to 57 for the policy- which included a call for pickets to close the paper down Bower's appeal was bitched blaming the membership: are not prepared do this your membership lof the NUJ) is not worth a lot either."

Dustmen fight scabbing The Tories • on the Brighton Council are spear- all heading an attack on = by public sector victimising local dustmen.

Enan By mobilising the as far afield as Hastings from they 43 At stake hope not only to defeat the low •emocrate rats over ne ar pay but break the tenance Brighton local the union rights.

DOCK

authority unions. dispute arose when four willing East Sussex dustmen came out tors were hired at the phenom- on strike over a wage claim.

81al Cost which day, Support than one Brighton wate Pallow support refusing to cross the picket line in the GMWU to consolidate the strike by linking reported for public However, work every day and dealt with struaales in Briahton has led the emergency services. dustmen's action to be regarded as an isolated dispute. action, the leadership dustmen have been deemed by the local authority to be on weakened neareddy tenuous strike. As a result, the Brighton of their own sections to resume council refused to pay the men their wages. extremely vulnerable heated situation exploded further when Tory councillor Saker brought in private contracters to developing it into one the issue of the rubbish without any effectively real negotiations with Tane

GMWU.

and other this attack, responst sections within tne Givyyu such shall

AT THE TOP...

UNION DUES

back Nottingham had come about through the An indication of the reaction seen in the fact

NUJ

leadership's turn awar industrial action by the from Now when that same tedder.

ship attempted to turn the tap one of the power explanation WeeN

BACK

voted for the switch-the pipes were stay frozen. day strikes in them- selves are ineffective. They were showed a permissible policy in this case which they

WHICH

DERBY

+2

TELEGRAPH

NUJ

NUJ members march in Nottingham last December park and toilet attendants and Brighton Corporation.

workers joined the successful very. held Brighton clear that the

WSL

on the oin March address dus in s (in a personal capacity) by present struggle concerns more steward Peter Large ' over odk at which student WSL Union rights were organising thanked tor support for the picketing.

Lessons drawn out fundamental are from The axoeriences Camden struggle on pay. and a and the extension of discussion followed Although the dustmen were Hereas to cal wider support to win the to work skin karao struggle. of t50 per lorry per Demonstration amounts TO mOre dustman's weekly Due The failure of the leadership The extreme demoralisation which set in the suggestion up with the arrests wage mem ser tor arte demonstration was welcomed. being Efforts present to organise this event, ir further conjunction with ine students ai the of Sussex who are presently in occupation over strike when they directed some issue on overseas quotas. the the same time, boston. GWU leadership must ensure The dispute now needs to be the strengthened InclusIon workers and ambulancemen in around this activity through the Trades low pay which puil ordel to cuarartar the winning of the dustmen's different sections of the GMWU well other local public sector workers dispute as claims. in the East Sussex County area authority UnOr watc

BLOODY STUDENTS MARCHING

AGAIN - I DON'T KNOW WHAT

TURE NIC LEADERS ARC

UP TO !!! ET

WHEN THE TORIES PROPOSED TO STOP US

GIVING FUNDS TO ASSIST THE LABOUR

-I WAS

MOVEMENT-

THE FIRST

- TO AGREE!..

the platform to claim that the meeting was not a disaster.

restatanbu Nottingham members the agenda. first invo ver have recognise were being used bring the the provincia memberst can be Won, LIk back the reinstatement leadership fight. have journalists Notta an sitti in paign of blacking of advertising in mean to out disgust and disappoint- is futile. Done nothing i ne meeting went on to volt support of a motion calling one-day of the The leadership toI which entire NUJa little meaning but was used by years Post's Hialu Times Sacked a limited scale Producing bosses -retreat- Times Newspapers management have been forced to back down over demands that new is forced in while nology Nearly thousands of workers stay sacked. The mail start ant week staff until at Speke in Merseyside. reenacca April and have pala retrospec The march pay to tive half all workers had periods • Internatonal oy notice wilost expired. France and But the climbdown prelude to pushing through with Teo o nave The man To est or Cue anale solidarity with ment drive-to win a massive cut agreement with the in jobs by counterparts Though the Unions.

NGA

Now that a target date for the papers has been reopening STrIKe impact.on 17), Dunlop's closure plan. ment have cleared out of the the sole point on which the vvay NGA leadership were unable to yield But before the closedown adopting a policy Joe Wade had already in secret tion of the plant. negotiations conceded NGA members would accept a against the deal which only quaranteed that their members retained all key- boarding work for five years week one decisiOn • demoralisation Hes workers Is a son ott weakness of the management But it is certain. to the worktorce Already Pennine taken redundancy print union leaders to sell jobs.

plant It is not therefore itself Times

VIC LOS V

though it shows that by a united determination not to sell jobs management could be torced to back down The EETPU leadership has meanwhile nailed its colours to most attention • The manacement nas sus pending the entire London Press of 1,200 members Branch jobs by banning because une branen crused ratify agreement on electricians' jobs at the Times into arguing

OH I DON'T KNOW HARRY

THERE'S MORE THAN ONE

WAY OF SKINNING

LA CAT...

TRIT WHEN THOUSANDS Or WRETCHED STUDENT

STARTED TO STROP UP ABOUT TRIK GRANIO

WE JUST CALLED A FEW ROUTINE PROTESTS, AND

THINGS SOON CALMED DOWN...

have helped the sacked workers' • morale but I has done nothing and will do the is still on Mass action the members that Only mass action by the battle against the employer membership will do that visit obstacies in the provincial

MUST

1ra0e paper chanels to ou to be faced and overcome.

to prepare for a call for an all Faith in an NGA/Slade cam- out strike to force the Notting

TAKB

sacked journalists back and recognise the union. As Geome Miller. one of the sacked members told the reet- of those ing: 'It's million miles not unions nave done notning in six • the Notting- away it this bloke wins. IT! anti-union stance technology journalists should also restart picketing-if only on we did.' neHi Cown news Dunlop: clear- lead needed! 1,000 workers from Eastern Europe and the

USSRI

joined a demonstration last.

But equally pernicious week in protest against the line is being put forward by the closure of Duniop's factory holast workers ranty. wilUst leaflet on the • issue calls for occupation only as a stop-gap was part of an policy until a new employer can be persuaded to take over the •which Dunlop workers in Italy, Germany are repor- «Similarly. at Drvlanders in thoduce in lokelt St. Helens the workers occupied stoppages or one day strikes in their factory as the only alterna.

British tive being scrap-heap •..and were able to the cemonstration find another group to take over a warm response as it made its way through Speke, the one- saving most of the Tael aber jobs. lessons are quite clear." the task of halting crisis wracked Workers The mevotionary ranty Union leaders on the plant- leaflet which called in ultima including TGWU General Exec- for the tistic fashion utive chairman Stan Pemberton down of the Labour government -ave constance dats! -but which failed to call for the for occupa- essential policy of factory occu.

Running scared of any fight Callaghan-Healey An article Newsline have wasted mysteriously defended unnamed oreciou. week TrON remeer ton. futile talks, lobbies and protests witch-hunting-while remaining begins to tactfully silent about among the Speke "Trots" for ThaT

WRP

occupation were not ine • workers but Workers Socialist nave money and The "actior A WSL leaflet on the othe , hand did spell out the way for.

committee has aroweo unis co ward in the Dunlop struggle: *Occupy the plant! Import controls *Open the books of th company to elected trade unior alona with the Communist Party, has focussed *Work-sharing on full pay!

*For a nationalised motor on the reaction- supposedly to protect "British' the management of elected "foreign."" tyres trade union committees as part • Ine or ou a socidst dianuca economy: *Build councils of action!

NYONE NO LOCA

- ONE HAD TO BE FLEXIBLE.

LEARNING THESE BASIC TRICKS IS LIKE RIDING

A BIKE-IVE BEEN PEDDLING THE SAME LINE

N.U.PE. EVER SINCE!

PRESS

HIICUNPLICENCEMENTDOE

'The truth is, there is Onlv a few davs later. no violence which is worse action of steelworkers reached a than the violence of break- peak ing up factories, of throwing Denain, north or Paris, near the Belgian border. workers, out into the street, Throughout of blighting the youth, of producing areas workers continued condemning towns and occupations of whole regions to death oraanisation offices. in order to satisfy interests railways by emptying loads of which are foreign to those iron ore onto the tracks.

of the nation." Resistance That was how Georges Seguy last week to 'defend soo ke French workers against Ine are only one part of attacks of the bourgeois media.

tide of resistance to French ruling class had inflation' reacted with policies indignation alTe bourgeois government. vurage to the metnods used by Workers swelling mass Ine railway, against unemployment, munications sectors further huge redundancies in the strike steel industry. Seguy, Stalinist leader of the unreatened increasing activity.

comederation cave the bourgeoisie little cause for the conflict between the The reac- class and relet in nis speech. tionary chauvinist policies form of violent which the Communist between the police and demon- Party has tried to toist on the strators. movement have not been able to curb militancy: betore,

FUND

An excellent collection of £410 at the Third Annual Conference of the Workers Socialist League and a good start to the March fund with £337.75 already collected indicates the growing support that exists for the Workers Socialist League and Socialist Press in the labour move- With 2½ weeks still to go to the end of the month we are well placed to meet our £600 fund target in full.

All donations should sent to: Monthly Fund, 31, Dartmouth Park

NW5 1HR.

Published by Folrose Ltd. for the Workers Socialist League, 31, Dartmouth Park Hill, London NW5 1HR.

Printed by Anvil Printers (TU), London. Registered as a newspaper at the Post Office.

SOCIALIST

French strikers force concessions French steel workers on the march the workers from the morning shift (one the major USinOr steel firms) gathered in the

LOWI

factory yard to decide on their the Union leaders tried to divert steer- groups this anger into the futile protest to stage gestures of blocking the waris- employers' brussels motorway. Rust many others in a several actensation

COTI

immediate _nousanes their objective was the local police station-heavily guarded by tne These actions in themselves riot- brutal a rising police. Armed only with iron bars the anti- and Barre's makeshift weapons, the demonstrators were subjected to a barrage of teargas the nationalised and chlorine and post and telecom-

LUTES

TITSE

Crashe! also developed into a pitched battle nave through the afternoon, which "anO ended only at lo ciock ine next morning. But at Denain on Wednesday work- Gaz explosives capital controntations In the course of the fighting, injured by several bolice were rifle. But TrOm After clashes and skirmishes demonstrators mostly resorted some 1600 capiusives the hasty con- canisters. Socialist Press Hill, London Georges Seguy of barricades against struction the repeated police charges Although older stee -worker were always in the forefront of After the fighting, played major part in the day's events their beyond the complete v leadership Tine influence of the union bureau-

COHSE

and cracy. well-organised and disciplined youth Was the who provided the workers with recommendin supplies of improvised Molotov offer cocktails. In the union evening against inflation. bureaucrats made their The unions have clearly calling for an immediate protest occupation of the factory and ever of fighting defusing of all demonstra- pay and tions until Sunday public

SCULO

This diversionary tactic was means the slightest rejected with contempt by the tion with demonstrators policy Denain t ne batte ATer revealed more sharply than any at all to the events minimum the bureau- problems Tacing week cracy. The strength and militancy by means of workers has lett them with "delegate little room to manoeuvre Their thoroughly reactionary policies have proved useless anger violent into respectable stee worker channels of negotiation. Usinor has now temporarly withdrawn notices and a series of talks has been planned between govern. ment, management and bureau- cracy-talks centring improved conditions But for all their militancy. French steelworkers will not be abie to cereat completely these moves of their leaders towards betrayal without taking fight for meetendent socialist alternative

CRAFTSMEN

CLIMB DOWN

The newly formed workers into the company's Leyland Joint Trades Com- olars. mittee voted last Saturday to withdraw. its resolution

LORD PARTICIPATION

for all-out strike action from Friday 16 March. The decision took place at a Nine Leyland skilled meetine was a decision stewards in Birmingham hoc committee of appointed Acting chairman Roy Fraser union said this was because some the delegates' factories had not Leyland that considered the strike resolution call a Senior Stewards meet- wen went on _to araue ing with a recommendation that, since their organisation to give was now broader-based, he con.

months notice ere ver be craven covin now win their pay demands drawal from the "participa- without a strike tion" scheme On Radio Oxford he said But now that he considered the meeting a of Shipbuilding success, Unions has same meeting also decided to chance the Lord claim for a £90 a week wage to retired one for a "substantial" ; increase Confed explains the since original claim considered the workers' participation, too "conservative" believe The reality is that the leader- problems by these skilled men Salo

COT

is why we want evidence."

doing everything to avert a con- The

CSEU

frontation with the company.

evidence of lack of consultation Fraser is showing that he is the same as the other misleaders in. Leyland, trying to drive the

LOUR NCB

NUPE leaders prepare to kill off fight PHOTO: Laurence Spart

UPE

A Livin Says: Wome COHSE leader Spanswick: done nothing for low paid spending every day open ballots since January 22nd trying to get their member- moression That members back to work, ship have actually given up the

TGWU,

. fight

GMWU

have It is also obvious that the leadership of

NUPE

despite tion to the one ay captain by their promises to escalate amongst health their members, waiting for the makes their members worse off to call off opportunity the whole campaign bureaucrats these AT meetino ot the Nup- NEC in London last Wednes Snown tha they have no intention whatso.

day-which lobbied to improve the from westminster conditions theil officers Meers confronta- made it clear that thev nave no Callaghan's intention of working for all out wdy strike action for the full claim. contribut for a hind Full-time office

HON

fight arrogant hatred afie have now

THE OCTS

COT

recommended acceptance of the "intensifying the selective ot mysteriou action". and When converences asked ak jut further a nbulance action amonost drivers, he stated that there was support another ambulance strike Although some EC members did say that they would . support-rather than lead-all - they will put up a fight against the blusterings of Keating, who vaurence is quite open about nis intention to sell out the pay fight Alan Fisher, man who actually launched the low campaign last year, was nowhere to be seen at the lobby. The task ahead for mititan workers in the public sector is to expose hypocrisy betrayals their OT teader ano bureaucratic and secretive way they have forced through acceptance 9% of the о тег. Agents There NUPE will still t doubt that sell out the this struggle-and in task they have plenty of agents the branches SucH Counciior Jamie Morris, at the Hospital westminste offer at a time calculated to do the maximum damade to future struggles in the health •av service. months ago there HE will undoubtedly of the ad- rewardto for inis act ot cynica betrayal by being asked to the other representatives

NUPE

parasite head office at some future date would they The task in the other three unions in the claim is to expose the betravals of the leadership the company before the members. National and area delegate of with- conferences comprising genuinely elected delegates must called for

TGWU,

ine Confederation

COHSE

and

GMWU,

and Engineering decisions to accept the 9% must be reversed, and a policy of all. varuse• to sanctior out indefinite strike action fo Scanlon-who though the full claim must be adonted is still President of th Sections these unions are still determined to "We are fully in support of fight on for the full claim —and but some, in London and Brighton at least-are at this moment on CaNO sove coming. out-that strike over pay The fight by these branches therefore must be broadened into meeting to hear resumption strikf action for the full claim, and the management and take this union bureaucracy must forced this Icau