Socialist Press no. 142

KICK OUT LABOUR'S

TORTURE CHIEFS! Stepup

SOCIALIST

PRESS

Weekly paper of the Workers Socialist League * No. 142 * March 21, 1979 * 15p The Bennett Report on the interrogation procedures Troops out of Ireland now!

used in the occupied six counties OT Ireland is a calculated cover-up. pointedly avoids any attemot to exolain unmistake- able evidence of violence meted out to republican suspects in the notorious Castlereagh interroga- It points out from the start that it never intended to investi- of the hundreds of any

LIAM

specific allegations of torture

WHELAN S

and violence that have tilled dossiers previously compiled by trade union bodies, priests and

12 YEARS

Amnesty international Instead it sets out to excuse 8 YE

RUC

supposed "young" excesses mex- who FL oerienced Dorice thugs have and hundreds of prisoners. Medical evidence indeed it nas lett abou Minister Roy Mason leeway to Parliament barefaced in inat the neport ole not sav there had been ill-treatment; it only pointed evicence or in uries out cia not they had been now inflicted." the surrouname une buenication the resort and in barticuiar the statement alleging 50-161 instances of police- inflicted iniuries by RUC police March in support of H Block prisoners in Derry last October surgeon Dr. Robert Irwin must This weight of armed repres- growing in scope and intensity shown to all but the most SIOn ot Ine Carnolic minority Is as shown ov the recent series o Tanducal detenders

DONCE

backed up by a network of no- massive republican demonstra- violence that systematic jury Diplock courts-empower- beatings are taking place.

tions in the six counties support of the Long Kesh PoWs of RUC eo to convict on the unsuostan- in uries to tiated evidence of a single police and demanding the removal of suspects began in early 1977-as but relying almost Labour's Minister for Torture' soon as the

RUC

took over exclusively on forced confes- noy IMason. control of "security from the sions"- from supposed terrorists It is a war against the con British army. extracted by the RUC in Castle- tinued oppression the Since that time the violence redon camone minor une sectar nas continued unabatea-ano Many suspects against whom ian six-country statelet: a war included the suicide or trade there is no evidence rot for up which of threatens union militant Brian McGuire in to two years in jail "on remand' flow over into the struggle fol as uercagn unacl for the ending of all forms of imper- unoTTicial SUOSTITUTe suspicious circumstances.

internment. ialist and capitalist exploitation The whole affair serves to intimidation of would- in Ireland as a whole lift a corner of the curtain of anu unt rounded secular anti-m perialsts is establishment siience inat normally snroues off by the horrors of the Long workers' republic. the brutal methods through Kesh concentration which the Labour government is Cant republican where prisoners anIs a oou Tiantino to maintain oritish rule demanding their leaders, hand-in-glove with legitimate in Ireland. British capitalism. have status as Prisoners of War have Loyalist gunmen been forced to endure three years naked in freezing cells in Armed thuas of the British conartions or indescribaole Tutr army patrol, every street and and suffering. public place; they are backed in britain supporters or the anti-imperialist struggle in up by arenara Loyalst cunmer Ireland are intimidated through orcanised in the ster betence Regiment; and "law and order" ine operation or une reactionar preserved sectarian Prevention ot errorism Act Roval Ulster Constabularv.

under which over 3,200 people of this "law and have been held by police for up PHOTO• Derek Speing. the half-dozen RUC to seven davs: tew ot Tnese nave men tacina been subsequently charged with trial Tol terrorist offences while over 30 members terrorist offence, and fewer of the UDR have been proved still convicted guilty of maior crimes including War going on against murcer-main. Catholics. The UDR's prominent recent member Only the wilfully blind could cacle wvic waine. one deny that there is a war going bestial Shankill Rutchers tail ac for the murders of 19 Catholics.

on in Ireland -a war that is again Butcher-Mason

JOE ROKIERAN

O. HAGAN

18 YEARS

remained implacably opposed to the Irish liberation struggle-and used the most barbaric methods to reoress it. Butcher Mason's hand is on but the bullets are the trigger: loaded by Callaghan. bv Owe and cabinet cronies Benn and Foot. The blood of Castlereagh and the filth of Long Kesh are on their nanes. British workers must to put stop treachery. A government that administer such repression WIll abomination Ireland is an hat can otter nothing to the britisa workina class A tiny handful of Labour 'lefts' particular opposed the Litterick. nave government's role in Ireland.

Union branches and Labour Accomplice-Benn

DON BOSCO

DOHERTY

PATRICK

DEVLIN

6 YEARS

Parties must at once put down These lead mini to dive out Mason and the Downing St butchers from the Labour readersnio. - TO immeciate of political status to glaring Irish prisoners of war, and the troops from Ireland.

NUM

'left' Arthur Scargill must be torced to fight for the ousting or vason as the union's sponsored MP for his head quarters town of Barnsley.

fight AnO Ene must stepped up for the building of a revolutionary, internationalist leadership in the British working class, prepared mobilise solidarity for the Irish liberation struggle Silent-Scargill Open letter to WRP expelled members-p 4 WSL conference report-p.9 Sector fight! Despite the desperate efforts of public union leaders to force through acceptance of the miserable 9% offer, pay there is still a massive deter- mination amongst health and local authority manual workers throughout the country to fight on for the full public sector pay claim of a £60/35 hour week. After the decisive rejection tne oTTer Amoulance drivers and

NUPE

health workers, a new wave of action is under way in ine ouoric sector Ambulance drivers in South Wales have begun an indefinite strike after being locked out by manacement. Manchester orivers held a 24 hour total stoppage and ambulance stewards in London are noiding , meetings throughout this week to discuss further action.

Strikes have begun in various the nosoitals througnout midlands and the north. And there are sections of loca au tnority workers London and the south who have remained on strike since the end or January , desoite ine tact ina all except NUPE health workers have been instructed to accept the 9%. On top of this a mass NUPE stewards' meeting called by the London Divisional Council on Thursday night passed a resolu tion calling tor all-out indetinite strike for the full claim by London health workers beginn- ing this Wednesday see report on page 11). The fact that there is still the basis for a national offensive on wages in the public sector obviously a nuge blow to Alar Fisher and the bureau- crats of NUPE, COHSE, TGWU ana avive But NUPE members must grasp opportunity now to consonaate and extena unel action in every area into all-out strikes. There should be no exemp- any

LIONS

such StriKes in section: rather, elected strike committees should supervise the do ministrator OT what they regard as necessary emergency services in Tonting along these ine for the full £60/35 hour week claim leadership a principled the must be sector, capable of fighting tooth and nail to end wage control and public spending cuts.

Page 2

-INTERNATIONAL-

Confrontation in Denain on 8 March sharpen Without economic power, it is futile to talk of national independence France The path which is being driven along the IS downward path of decay.! Inis was no Gaullist lament- ing the decline of once-great George imperial France, but Marchas-ecer oT tne rrench Communist Party. His opening to the emergency devale on unem- ployment the rrench naria- ment was all of a piece with this oc extidll anz nénence vas his theme as he attacked the 'anti-social and anti-national' covernn.ent ot navmone barre.

and foreign capitalists were the enemies he named. • ut Marchas saveo nis most squalid arguments for a tirade for the against Barre's support Curooed Menetary oyo tel "The Europe that you want to build is a German Europe" WiCIl Wou ede to millary integration and in the end, to getting its hands on nuclear arms.' Nationalism While their leaders in parlia- ment have been spewing out this the reactionary nationalism. ons in edde ccr hard pressed to hold back the tide of militancy rising among mrencn workes A dramatic rise in unemploy- ment over the last year, and the recent 1000 recunudnity notices, have drawn workers out onto the streets in the repeated of the protest demonstrations last tew weeks. The latest have actions developed in the northern steel- and these have oroucnt some _or tne spardest betrayals yet from the union bureaucracy. While the Stalinist-led CGT has sought to bring workers into a defence of their 'own' bour- ceoisie adsl Telov CP leader Marchais French struggles other sections of the working class are also in struggle, Office, the those the Post banks insurance. Tne neaitn textiles, dockyards, broadcasting and teacnine the police force are -ver organising.in unions. In opposition to the evasions capitalist the Socialist- dominated CFDT has advanced the bureau- ano Detravais a clear programme must cracy,

TOTE

orazenıv Dankrue be raised to reject ail redundan- policies. Among the 22,000 redun- cles in the steei inaustry The books of all the employ- dancies olanneo in Ine stee industry the ing firms must be opened, along closure Usinor's plant at Denain.

with the accounts ot taeir suo sidiaries and creditors to reveal Hard-core tinanciat condition of lie tiut Jacques Chereque, secretdry general ot tne metal. working has taken up section defend only Tight the TraCTOn plant. "We talk steel-

MUSU

workers in the language of truth and not them try believe that it is still possible to Nowhere in the world employ workers

EUA CHUT

is the desperate crisis Usinor-Denain. But are faced. by the leaders of that hard-core

CONVITCBC

employing about 4,500 people world imperialism can be considered." shown clearly more After the riots of last week, in the frenzied calm is now back in Denain.

than Last week a demonstration efforts to patch up went through Denain peacefully between the treaty one was aooresseo ov otofinst union leader Seguy Zionist robbers of Israel seem and the shaky regime of have been able to head off the President Sadat. witarang ing som erpho nhe sale is clear that the from the steel the bosses Zionists have been inoustrv and tne barre govern- compelled to make some ment Afthough concessions the government tne their Egyptians as the strongest ano •osses nave madt position very clear on the talks: military power in the area.

is no alternative that there They will give back some of the Sinai peninsula, even tnetr oresent porrcies tue unioi bureaucrats make it out as oilfields, and will recognise victory. the possibility of truncated Palestinian state.

Not impressed Even this has only been But not WOrKETS art done on the basis 'We impressed. have enormous American Daluc bul nel war une pressure and huge cash sub- were saying after the bosses had both sidies for. Israel and backed down from their intran- Egypt. sigent positions Americans need to workers are resov to carr.

on the fight, and they provec this because they have do this last week by rebuild their shattered vucuwyyiu urt 'sphere of influence bullaing where nine tEc neads of state were their area where their main bul- meeting to discuss the EMS and Shah his and ' wak™e economic policies. regime-has disappeared. They left peacefully after two hours. Pressure

CGT

veanwnne Ene ane union are federations The dispatch of Carter's planning march on Paris adviser Brezezinski the loli dir ovei rrdnice of on 23 head high-powered TS take •ace March and, according to the delegation to the reaction-

CGT,

be the Saudi Arab regimes in dl y Arabia and Jordan will biggest demonstration ever seen.

no The eneral s crike o foall 24 be doubt accompanied by General Strike hour some of the same pressure memoers and blackmail that has This is backed by the CFTC driven Begin and Sadat to and the other major unions with their present position. Tne exceotion In8 LrUI says. that the strike The question facing the Which should be steel- restricted Saudis this. Can they seem to take their distance

CFDT

saying that ne from Arab nationalism more actions should be taken in the Palestinian cause by the meantime but is not organis- along gollg WIL Il sirg any. American backers; Although the steelworkers these ailing capitalist ventures The demand for fult nation asetion n tae stee Industry under workers must be opposed to every plea DanK UBICy IrOM orivate capital Worksharing full must be introduced, alongside y massive or ooramme UsETU public works to end the already unemployment French dowr we iufls working class. policies be must tought tor through occupations •T the stee oants. ine Torma tion of strike and factory com- mittees and buil ding councils of action in the areas A desperate "peace" the regime soon face same fate as the Shah? A similar dilemma has faced King of Hussair Jordan, though he has seldom in the past hesitated to continue his own secret negotiations with the Israelis. His anxiety at the situation is directly reflect- the warmth of his ed 1n this •o•orLunIsi c urales weekend for his old opponent PLO leader Yassir Arafat. the imperialists and allies their have these the problems, question who can fight the Zionists now? Little support The bourgeois nationalist regimes of Iraq and Syria show no signs of enthusiasm for renewed oftensive Indeed Arafat's continu- diplomacy ing • wIlll Arab of bourgeois heads state is producing little SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 21 March, 1979 Racist regime faces scandal amongst the small herd of scape- -In a move aimed at dis- goats). crediting their former func- All ruling sections tionary as a fraud and petty manoeuvring thief, the South African their persuade ettorts to voting public of the deep government has out their warrant for the arrest of watttotisn anaeriy various activities in this regard Eschel Rhoodie, the former And bourgeois liberals try t Secretary of Information foster amongst. the • Ene niusfor and a central scapegoat in black working cass capitalist future cleansed of mis- the scandal over the 'misuse' apar optraliurl. of government funds. scandal. clear In doing they That TRisns seek to propaganda exercise whose development of the control isolate and to both south puipuo Teal Crists mutancv ottne renca workers Atrican white racist ruling cias voters at home and of the over.

- that posed by the struggle of seas public. black workers What least wanted, _course „ TOr …knoodle to.

CENTO

given a platform and pushed to the point of making his threat- ened disclosures. There can be no doubt that these would have international -folds up- implications, stripping the moral Wcss tmne toevs and uas organisations-tne) would reveal highly embarr assing sordid network of inter- Last week the nationar onoery. comruotion ane secret dealings involving promin Financial Times and trade union that the announced figures the capitalist only remaining member countnes However, the piqued of the CENTO alliance Rhoodie was apparently is Britain. recent v oven reason for kepo. ing quiet by another scapegoat, So the great design of former chief imperialism to stabilise the lurture. General van den •OUTA ATTICa. troubled mid dle-east has Bergh, head of BOSS. collapsed into an "alliance (The General has since had between reactionary Labour his passport removed. presum Foreign David ably to limit further collusion Secretar Owen and. .. himself! Treaty Centra Organisation was formed in the mid 1950s as part of the imperialists' anti-communist drive to encircle the Soviet Union with a ring of heavily armed hostile states. Originally called any tangible support from

CENTO

Pact Baghdad terrified that rulers any. changed its name with the revolutionary struggle that toul llac successfully .destroyed the years later racist state of Israel would Thereafter it consisted of flow into struggles Turkey, Iran, Pakistan and ove against their own tin-pot Britain. tyrannies at home. One of the first acts of the new government in Iran While it suits nearly all from was withdraw of them be

CENTO

to pictured smiling with and em pracing Last week Turkey, aiso Arafat, it suits none of them member of NATO,, and to mobilise the kind of mass Pakistan, knowing a sinking action necessary to combat ship they one, wiicl Zionism and carry through also withdrew, leaving of the liberation the Britain sole surviving „T.ne oppressed Palestinian member people. This is a definite blow to This is why of the urgent the the strategy question now in the Middle imperialists. While Owen and his reac- tast is the construction of : revolutionary Marxist friends tionary imperialist leadership that will fight to methods ofstabilisation and new mobilise the Palestinian and should be waged Arab masses on an indepen- anti-Communism dent basis in struggle against Cal dae Zionism, world imperialism, in the labour movement for and the destruction of the other trom

ICICSSOL

bourgeois Arab imperialist military pacts- regimes. in particular NATO.

Polish Stalinists endanger

IRISH WORKERS STAGE

SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 21 March, 1979

• INTERNATIONAL-

nationalised property New official figures In particular, it has en- of couraged published by the ruling the enlly capital in joint imperialist Polish Stalinist bureau- ventures and has borrowed cracy have revealed that enormous money on an the problems of the finance the scare Polish unbridgeable deficit in the economy are balance of payments. even more dramatic But this only leads to than previous informa- further contradictions as the tion had shown. obligation the The Polish economy has interest and repay the loans suffered for three decades into Poland's stagnant eal under the hand of bureau- of foreign earnings cratic rule which has both exchange. prevented the economy Extent of problem from producing in response to the needs of the working It the staggering class and excluded the of extent problem working class from manag- this which exposed ing the social property. 1S week's figures. The result been According to a report in chronic failure to supply of the Financial Times social needs and growing Polish leader Gierek figures supplied by the working class resistance to goods and other consumer Polish State Bank, oppression bureaucratic Warszawie, goods. Handlowy while the state budget and These actions have Poland's debt international balance of provoked instant and this year will amount to payments move further into 50% total deficit. inense workes ressence well over 01 to the point of insurrection.

of foreign earnings free Price increases bureaucracy has currency. This is a situation worse been forced to retreat 1n On two occasions in the order survive and has than that of even the most last three years the bureau- indebted of the semi- turned colonial countries with the cracy has tried to rectify for help imperialism these economic difficulties resolving the economic possible exception of Peru.

workers' living by cutting contradictions which result In order to meet these standards through sharp from the of obligations• the Polish

COLCHEC

increases in basic bureaucracy is negotiating a bureaucratic rule itselt

TAX AND PAY REVOLT

social services, the call for cheap As we go to press all the exolonaton imperialist-owned banks and creait to small Tarmers and ine signs are that virtual monopolies and the Irish elimination of the network of by General Strike will take capitalist exploitation that feeds place this coming Tuesday Interest charges in Dublin. scale ot the mass move ment shows the willingness of This is despite the fact that While the exploitation of the Irish workers to fight the bour- the workers takes the open form of rISA «oneress geois also recime-out Unions has opposed the strike wage labour, the exploitation of the crisis of leadership that they and suggested "demon- instead Lakes face in their struggle. more through surations ano oEner ciscrete v hidr 50,000 LaST sunday some interest charges on bank loans, aCTIOnS". demonstrated Dublin and Among labour huge profit on union after union has thrown its bodies which

ICTU

resisteo suoolies and machinerv and the Tuesday's weiont benino nexti Trans- oressure were the trish strike. oron, the Amalgamated Trans.

General Workers distributors manu- d Vi

FOCK

Lynch policies ano General workers bottom orices tor farm oroduce Union, the National Busmen's In the struggle against Feeling on tax within the Union, the Dublin Council of capitalist exploitation in Ireland Unions Irish working class is a retlection Trade Cartow the stall Tarmer neea te of the growing resistance to the Council of Trade Unions. won as allies, not enemies of the the economic policies class through pro government. The ICTU was last Level of tax gramme of demands related to week meeting the government their special problems. discuss Congress's draft This means the fight for the The cause of the strike is the plan tor a new "national under.

the of the system standing" which would govern Taxaton banks, suppliers, transport firms Workers inflation "job job protection, by creation, and food processors and distri- increasinaly annoved about the maustrial devereament comentees are expected welfare, and taxation levei ot tax they socia workers and small farmers-and to pay. various other matters. the fight basis of the VIrish Press, March 15) Denied any principled lead figures revealed for Tromn vnior •ureaucrals Ts ban is mne cu leader. anel nanonaisanon workers' anger has focussed on ship's proposal to replace without compensation under diversionary target newly expired National Wage workers' management.

LTIC

concessions bem me to stall Hareement. farmers. among stop means inci ucino trier .In reality both the working workers' demands for new loan on the Euro-dollar market. One condition this of loan is that previouslv secret Polish economic statistics revealed to the imperialist banks (though not, of course, to the Polish working class). 'Western Reports in centres" financial that "western banks were nou being power lo

00H1LO]

Intervene in the Polish economy $500 exchange for the million financing" may well, • as the Financial Times says, be untrue with sions ine cover nment would not ne AnOUT PAYA such because they did not wish they were minister: meeting Unions unee duress. Sharp conflict The Irish Post Office strike is just number «one important disputes which either taking place the momentor are vereiro In all these disputes the rank and file have found themselves in snaro connet win te eader ICTU and its social shio ot the contract plans well as their own union leaderships In the Post Office strike. the leaders have tried direct the into the membership dead end of 'selective" strikes one-week strike AtTer

POWU

leaders took most inel members back to work, leaving Dublin postmen out fo a further 48 hours moweve men refused to go back to work and were joined by the Dublin 48 poster Ine action finished. The pressure from such rank and action Icou Lea Turiner •national action wnici was supposed to last a week but which has continued Riots by Polish workers in defiance of price increases in 1970 But such reports are not accidental this because monitoring and control is what the imperial- of their ists want as 1s part objective destroying socialised property forms in Poland and the other workers' states. Matter of time are such conaitions not being imposed yet it can only be of time matter before they are. The startling new inform- ation, therefore, is a clear pointer to one of the wavs Peru declares new state of emergency Only a few days after the Peruvian military dictatorship ended the last state of emergency, it has imposed another This time it is in an attempt to cope with a new of mineworkers •uLORedK resistance to the anti-work- policies class of the 1n 9 which have cut real wages in half over the last three years. Intimidated During the attempted general strike last December most of the copper miners were physically intimidated striking full- trom bv the scale military occupation of the mines and miners' resi- dential areas Now the mine- workers who have been the first to take advantage of temporary withdrawal of the military to launch an all-out strike. So far 'the regime has used the new state of emer- to send the militar back (but without far Page 3 which the bureaucracy, by of workers" democracy and workers' management of the economy assisting tendencies towards the restoration of capitalism within the deformed and degenerated workers' states.

In this respect Poland, though to the up tatively different from the and the deformed workers states. work) and to arrest the main mineworkers leaders Among these is Victor the Cuadros principal leaders of both the copper miners union and of the Maoist-dominated left- wing electoral alliance the Democratic Union Peoples

(UDP).

Cuadros is in fact one of four UDP deputies in the the Constituent Assembly: His imprisonment 1s vet another proof it any were General regime Morales Bermudez when it talks of its democratic intentions. The. strike itself however, shows that despite its contempt for democracy the military dictatorship has virtually lost the ability to Peruvian mass nolo struggle in check. As the class struggle con- tinues to sharpen in Peru the crucial question is the construction of a Trotskyist leadership capable of offer- independent gramme to the mass move-

An open letter to the expelled members of the WRP Page 4 Dear Comrades, continuing political

WRP

which exploded recentiy into a fresh series or exousions torowind a long special poses serious questions for every war member carnanuation or the developments which led to the 200 expulsion members enc 1*4-|c aimost the whole of the whi main industrial base in Cowley.

At that time the man picy •т gerry hea was to brevent the political questions being raised by Alan Thornett and outers tom Dele discussed le the party as a whole. This policy led to our exput- Sions one week prior The annual conference in December In the Western Region (then the Region largest outside London), Gerry Healy called it Newsline editor Mitchell

PRESS

GANG

When Dr. Robert Irwin appeared on the World This Weekend and accused the RUC of torturing suspects, the British press greeted the with programme open hostility. Five days later the Bennett Committee report conceded tnat such torture die ano does place-aibeit in the 'half- take official nearica anguage incitterence The report was without doubt the major news item British several Ine day —yel papers it woule nave been redo only by the most diligent of cantis Mason claimed that he had report early released the bring 'balance'. In fact : he threw it in in the middle or a row over a smear campaign against Dr. Irwin- and in the case of many papers succeedee seeine submerged in the froth. Readers have been less than 10 days to treated i the whole gamut oress tactics. Reporters have been were taken admitting that they aside by various police officials "re-registration" → the whole membership in three kev areas (Oxford, Reading and Swindon) expelled could was and only TaGi membersmio aurel signing document agreeing with Alan Thornett's expulsion.

The situation facing those newly expelled urn position wiinin me nr demanes unal the discussion suppressed 1974 now proceed. Same issues Although four the act years the political degeneration of the WRP has deepeneo une issues are essentially the same.

In Britain this the means turn away wort interventons an the working ciass and detailed qualitative work in (reflected in the development of the ews!ner. Ve argued in 1974 that this arose from a turn away from the Transitional Programme and the maximum gramme which could make and required connection wit ine everyday sureles the working class. We remain convinced that this is the case. Comment from outside This has deviation developed to the point where vews ine Simoly comments from the outside on many of the struggles covers and rarery and to war sectve to struggles or feature struggles in

WRP

selves significant force Terms oTter eronio. Now the other, , opportunist the political side party's clearly 'the positions developed on international ques liberation struggles the and press officers and tAr Tum ours aboutwins motives the Telegraph that It was forced this into by open refuțing the lat. the

TUITIOUTS

same time revealing some facts about the rape of Mrs. Irwin). Inis was a move to protect the RUC as a whole by trying to isolate obviously I Will s . ис aredations and contine ThE torture allegations las Irwin himself does) to a 'minority' of the nuC the leaks But even failed to discredit Irwin they have succeeded threatening all future critics of the Mason torture camos With deep exposure of their private lives.

On following the release of te bennet erece Guardian agreed that its publica- tion: was almost lost in orotest over a "smear campaign" against a key witness (Dr. Irwin)" example I nE rei poster the whole

ISSUP

page 4-a low priority page-under the headline Smear I he bennett report was not mentioned until paragraph eight Middle East. Here every 'left' statement of every bourgeois and petty bourgeois nationalist from

PLO

to Libya to lraq is praised uncritically. Alex Mitchell writes to the Guardian defending blood the regime's stained a ba alist murdering thousands record of Stalinists of the Iraqi CP and others worKers move ment. • LAccording to the wAr s Workers Press of June 12 1974 and the paper stressed that the resort die not sav ooice were responsible for injuries.

The Daily reported •Bennett as its main news stori again spent many para- Dut graphs quoting Mason as saying cal ne force were • not neces sarily to blame and that "police officers had defend selves lawfully restrain prisoners But the most nauseating treatment aware must uc valy Mirror-ine caper coses the reactionary Labour leadership 'Rape Tront bage smear concentrater exe usives on the rumour about Dr. Irwin and only so much as mentioned Ine bennett rebort ov name six paragraphs from the end of the page 'report' the Bennet finding on page 2 was headlined 'New code for Ulster police' as were or some trivial administrative nature.

Even this second string Story Ente arecation. well are brief and down the story There 'progressive' element to me brash oress on Ireland They crave the cosy protection of censorship.

SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 21 March, 1979 regime and The interna mistaken and downright reac tionary politica positions deveroped on most issues toddy in detail have shown We how. piece by piece, the demands and method. of the Programme transitiona Were from onwards It is essential now that these discussed and questions aresenet between

LOSE

have a common history. discussion polițical obligation, irrespective • the measure or agreemen which may or may not be reached. Poison discussion It wouta be a great pontica loss if ploys being used by the Healy leadership were successful poisoning suct blocking. or discussions. We are convinced that all of Gerry • Heavs • ettort will directed towards this end Last week received rovuest wom a whr memeer u London for discussion on these expulsions The affair proved to be a set v•oo. yuner wOOTOur mem bers arrived for the discussion they were met by Alex Mitchel and a photographer This set-up will, we are sure designed any expelled membe from approaching or talking tr We insist: this is not a con TGWU members lobby Regional officials in support of Cowley 9 spiracy-it is an essential ,and discussion which the Ba'athists massacred "al speed-up and corporate bargain.

should have taken place within ing. feast communists following installation We have a clear and present Premier Hassan al Bakr responsibility ensure the dis Cowley 9 in 1963] We did not ask to be placed

NOW

• The /ews/ine goes sa And in successfully defend- far as to defend Khomeini outside the IC in 1974 anymore ing against demonstrations Cowley than those expelled today.

against

VICIOU

Witch-humi • soresser Iranian women. • ne oresent -acutE organise

TGWU

bureaucracy-in which branding their basic-democratic tional crisis of the movement Thornett threatened Alan demands for rights for women was also flows Healy's oppor from as ant revorutionary. unist ano louloationist donta we again had to fight the WRP You party that basis o and who publicly falsely con Anti-imperialist tionary basis cemnet prevent WRP dostentionism ane une aoanoon manoeuvred to ment of principle. the we uree war members to members sponsoring consider these points and to and Campaign / Existence threatened contrast them to the principled, everything possible to sabotage the struggle. bostons of lud Healy's other words Workers Socialist League.

that nemember Was us politics now threaten the We urge you study who were ridiculously •accuser of

WSL

the existence or the war itsel: key In by Healy of being "soft on Tecore cadres have been expelled to workers' social movement

OUI

democracy' when were suppress opposition; countless struggle for programme and fol expelled in 1974! leadership and against the Socia men bel nave been demoralised by the lack of an Democrat History of IC principled political direction f Crats. record in the movemen пОФЕ LOOK TOUr Since forming the WSL; after changing it. trade unions today. all is not to be lost, ther being expelled. we have insisted at the fore. We have stood the importance dISCUSSIon OI front of struggles for strikes and history in the International Trotskyist and programme occupation anshit, or method and an examination of and that our move. against wage committee strong : of degen ment! orientation une risoricd towards the organised working eration an The public sector pay fight essential task class flows from this history In British Leyland we have We invite you to join with us led the struggle against 'worke we point out that The il we right in 1953 and 1963 to stress nue make d participation' (the scheme WSL Executive Committee supported

WRP

Central the centrality of the struggle to by 18 March 1979 lencershit the mars move. Committee member Tom White ment through the struggle for a company's plans ano the TOt revolutionary party. direct 170H serious work in the unions; right to direct towards working class right to poin Poisoned period to the crisis of capitalism and refute revisionist notions of "permanent Well arms economy" etc Although we do not agree of with analysis crisis, it was a great strength to that capitalism had not changed and remained a system от acute crisis Serious workers The WRP was right to reject Pabloite liquidationism and thi 20p rank and fileism of the Inter. national Socialists/SWP. These positions attracted serious workers and developed a NOW OUT! The WSL discussion document adopted for submit movemen antly working class and rooted sion to the USFI XIth World the workers' Congress plus advance of anything the IMG p&p from WSL. 31, Dartmoutl Park Hill, London NW5 1HR or syr coula produce today We have insisted on the Iraqi strongman Hussein strength this history whilst utterly rejecting the nature of

WRP LEADERS SUPPORT

SOCIALIST PRESS. Wednesday 21 March, 1979 "b) An unconditional struggle must be carried out against the reactionary and medieval of the influence clergy. the Christian missions and similar elements. c) A struggle is necessary Panislamism, against the Panasiatic movement, and similar currents which try to liberation struggle tie the against European and American imperialism to the strengthening of the power of the Turkish and Japanese imperialism, the nobility, the big landlords, the clergy, cle. e) A determined fight is!

the necessary against attempt to put a communist cloak around revolutionary liberation that movements are not really communist in the backward countries. The Communist International has the duty to support the revolutionary movement in the the colonies only Healy' of •gathering the purpose components of the future revolutions, once the masses proletarian parties-com- recoonise tner own ower dna munist in fact and not just begin to develop independent organisations the back- name-in all elements within netormisu ward countries and training the workers' movement Cano them be conscious conscious of the old the their special tasks, bourgeois order then step in anc attempt weaker and special tasks, that is to say, dismantle independent of fighting against bourgeois organisations, democratic tendencies with- "stable' capitalist forms of rule in their own nation." Knomeini of course receiver (Second Congress of the because of his opposition to the Comintern. Theses on the National and Colonial Ques.

Recognising that it is impos- tion). sible austridi mosque, CoUnTry trom Khomeini installed With method outlined politician as Prime Minister.

the Communist above, the Wants bazaroan as the front man for Lenin Trotsky fought to establish the eligious views. But to establish political nIs With hazaroan Khomeini first deliberately Class engaging in struggles alongside ignored pleas carry not to executions inrougn his Shah mass movement in tran utionary council but a verv citterent meinoc can be seen at work today in the Saved from justice daily Revolutionary Party's daily Of course in reality most of paper Newsline. those executed bv Khomeini's Far from seeking an indepen- "revolutionary court" had dent road forward and warning previously. been saved from the of the dangers of Khomeini's Islamic ary masses-along many with actually mounts attacks other and

SAVAK

generals Those torces most unreatened ov the and The execution of a token explicitly defends Khomeini.

gesture vvas inen, is ine situation establish Khomeini's credentials now in Iran? as a "reactionary" even while the face Control movement Islamic crackdown occinnine to snow lisert.

Since the overthrow of the Similar events occured in the Bakhtiar Shah and February 1917 revolution nomeni-sazarcan reoime nas Russia with te been engaged desperate democratic forces arrested many efforts to control a movement reactionaries. when was deverose tar Devone their wishes. the Ministry the "TO Such attempts to hold vack they delegated Interior the deputy mass struggles Karaulov. insignificant always occur in New dictator Bazargan

KHOMEINI

By Tony Richardson the others issued and ne of all police officials political secret and

SETOCIOUS

• revolutetary police

TOM

massacre." (Trotsky, History of the Russian Revolution, Vol. I, pagi These me bowere July crats were revolution- mostliser arrest aries, driving Lenin and leading Bolsheviks into hiding Used against Marxists Who can doubt that in Iran Knomelnis camic revolution ary courts" will be used against Already they are

USEC

THIS

many relloious Ideas The reports of the barbaric murder of gays and alleged rapists anc flogging 'adulterers' tne show Khomeini's religious bigotry wenoor oooression incompatible with Communism only Bazargan's aditis K nomeini's reactionary that they might workers peasants estaolish genuine revolutionary courts.

on nostal endorsed by COUrTS-now Khomeini himself. Revolutionary courts do not As Communists we follow press or class mole Ralph Schoenman in arguing for according the under bourgeois the STaTe We argue for genuine revol- utionary courts, answerable not une mulans

DUT

O0oresseni masses Ano we cal for the establishment of soviet.

bodies from type the workers that and committees already exist. Now is the drucial time for such demands The power of the capitalists in the form of the and the standing army • Is almost non existent. Unly a nanatul o soldiers have obeyed Khomeini's.

call to return to the barracks- and they are unwilling to tight the masses In other words all the forces the are assemored tor one greatest steps forward for the persisting The masses are Their •emanes. oppressed minorities-the Kurds, Baluchis, Arabs, demanding self-determina- tion and effectively already owi workers' committees are formed them -many armed; and manv of the millions of womer are demanding democratic The one missing factor is the most crucial: the revolutionary party in iran. Bolstering Khomeini But seen through the eyes of the WRP the situation is not like this at all. car trom taking the comin tern's line of exploiting contradiction between and masses one bourgeois leaders order "gather components the future proletarian oarty Unt wAr leaders actually boister ur Khomeini and defend his reac- tionary path Rather Inar true Khomeini's nature "Islamic Revolutionary Courts' the WRP simply defends them against TrOM capitalist those like coress and Tribune Group who defenc Bazargan. Rather than suport the legiti- more str let Kurdish people unlike most Iranians, are Shi'ite Mostems) the

WRP

evidence to tne contrarv. that "They are fully behind Iran's leader Ayatollah national Khomeini." (Newsline, 14.3.79) while But positions

LITC

chauvinism and clerical reaction Khomeini-Bazargan regime thev pale in comparison to the vicious WRP attacks on thai strine by drapes sion: by Iranian women struggle "The thoroughly reactionary anti-revolutionary activities of the so-called women's liberation groups in Tehran must be con demned as provocations." •Pro-American Of course it is necessary to attack the reactionary pro- American DOSILIOl arouce feminist Kate Millett. But the WRP simply launch a wholesale attack fighting for their rights.

The "anti-revolutionary" demonstrations triggered went by a battery attacks from Khomeini including public floggings of "adulterers", a ban ne sale or contraceotives and the decree that women civil servants should wear the traditional vel, une unador, al work. The demonstration forced a climbdown this last point. out oresumaby the wri teps that the government was wrong concede these "anti- revolutionaries"? Will we Sheila Torrance, Vanessa Redgrave and other prominent women mem- bers of the WRP sporting the Chador? Of course not. The very idea is repulsive and absurd. So why do the WRP leaders celeno Ent who rencious

DHOOTS

are attempting to impose this hum iliating and degrading mode of dress on Iranian women? Does the WRP favour Iranian achieving equal rights with men or not? And, if not, they square their now reactionary position with the explicit stand defence of" women's rights embodied in the Trotskyist Transitional Pro. gramme and the entire history of the Communist movement?

Uncritically supported The reality is that to defend the struggles of militant Iranian the WRP women woulearing into conflict with the line of the Khomeini-Bazargan regime.

Page 5 Arafat with K'homeini That has been correctly slammed the Stalinist uncritica v „ suo•orted Ine ¡uden carly dointing out

WRP'S

"revolu "They completely capitulate allies the Middle the and tionary' Nationa Front cast notaov rueacer yassil Khment endorsino the latter s Arafat and Libyan dictator reactionary Islamic Republic."

Gaddafi-friend Colonel supporter of Ugandan despot Idi apply equally to rewstine and Amin. the WRP leadership! Sooner than break ranks Self-determination witn Inest et its face Ine ver prefers to set its against the interests of half the popula Its final demands included a formally correct call for: oppressed women-in Ther "Self determination struggle for emancipation Kurds Baluchis, Azer silent Newsline on baijanis and Turkomenis. • Build • the brutal murder ot gays-and a secular sociaist reovorce seems almost detent The Yet this has been cast aside Islamic fanatics who attacked practice in subsequent pages of the News/ine proving once again the complete inability of IC statement the Healy-Banda leadership consistent What now of the hypocritic.

principled line major any struggle in the working class statement ov the nter national Committee" published outlived his in Newsline only one month progressive role in opposing the Shah. The mass movement must doo. when attacke nomeint s political position as a combina- be directed towards the socialist

ICOULIOT

dualis Anomeini "progress and Bazargan. reacuion Sharia law and the Constitueni The

WRP

has shown Assembly 1?1. oppression of recent weeks that it will stand women and personal liberty."

such ine head struggle but in opposition to it.

same statemen WRP leaders junk the old Trotskyism By John Lister

GADDAFI

SPEAKS

A WSL

pamphlet The only serious examination yat produced of the opportunist political line of Gerry Healy's Workers Revolutionary Party in relation to the petty bourgeois nationalist regimes of the Middle 45p plus 15p p&p from: WSL, 31, Dartmouth Park Hill, London

NW5 1HR

f0 d e 07 pue : ws! sEM L 2113 1 U! (peysng 247) a47 anbseg 'ANd patioddns a47 fo V13 a47 pauue a47 Iste 300 Guoje 57/ 947 pap/u! 0U1 947) (ssejp unsanda 947 1q spesodord • useau mas saal toadsar u! Idasxa 'am!i шом 9U1. 2uhll

DUEM

471n01 ,pands!p., 1aod ap snowey s4 101 on perse oUP la palas 247 4! to pu!ш 'UOzuoW Guoje 47!M 001 seM aURO sonose e seM 1941 pue 1n046П0147 алош Au1 •ue tfal e unseles 10 1511247 10 a4 гe47 SeM dot AlO passag asuaww! zunowe алам pasjopua dadury sewinas аро 0 sem s,uoZuOW seM Asep :ppos-omt • 8 83 88-1 sou eunsereg steas 07) 18 S,ANd 10U pupen 01 06 - wayt

4I IO

11947

SSO10

ssep элеч lue ben en e 47пол бiа., sanjed. asau1 элеч pauLo! 47!M pue. a47 eùoneu 57 46!

UIPCC

Ajuo pue 11!7S IsOM

APORIOG

sarted J01 o0ens ing solediDupa nager Ared pue эшу ored ja. эину alas eig no les. 47IM ssaI ueul 119 e 1a4t bada

HIC.

ing Леро1 Лаці S!47 toddns 4709 алач! ou лави pue

DUP

01 1191 1 ored a auly ared ja Mou payıun 247 4о цIIм 07 Isnu забро! 010) a47 a47 150l y0 24 jede e0 15011 o1 pia a4t алеч 947 a47 Би!зном эм абрп! y001 aas ne Малам 47.7847

UIPEU

seM 101 wau1

SPIA

wayt OLu! 0 e 01 d 47241 He de bande de en d 5!47 rapun pinom ysıueds ареш S!41 teap ssep 47 47-407 (,quam

IS!NAND.

snu1 „Би!виец», obe suzuow 1a41 10g pares „Билбипа, 247 pause

SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 21 March, 1979 The

LCR

vieW From LCR election Pro- gramine. ing the results and The bitter fruits of consensus.

We and are still were eral Election of told. that overcoming the econ- two groups which omic crisis and consolidating democracy was question of t: the LCR and the In that was included bosses landowners and and workers; agricultural labourers; the CEOE Commissions and the UGT, the Centre Union (and Democratic Popular Alliance) and the workers' parties, was in effect one of neutrality That is the great lie which between ETA and the repressive State the country recent politically fight ETA terrorism months. It is ... we never give the slightest it doesn't continue to dominate the UCD govern. in The Tune. against ment, police • or army these "national

ETA").

Because don't exist anywhere. interests So, done? what What When the old our teres roads show them- Behind masses those of the workers; and their alleys i is interests, those of the bour- necessary to find a new one.

This means that, in Euskadi geoisio and the bosses. The first are already in particular, but also elsewhere, We nood decent wages, work laid. yve laid Them Tighting the all; they need wage control Lum is outine Moncloa Pact ahead of but behind significant hrow out the Constitution and of the working class we nom te dolca ano army and oppressed who be purged from top the wage negotiations. bottom, that guilty conunue a monster those the alternative is way tions, for instance, for cisco u. public order repressive forces of and are being of the Workers punished, that freedoms wnich, against any kind ot pac exist for the soldiers; they noed and consense pot or mad the the truth about These oress doa•tations were to hide from organisation and mobilis- linked to a complete failure to пле мню от шла roaciorare distinguish the class nature and ation of the workers (such as "Oporation Galaxy" la And that workers' left has to workers attempt last Mal coup be in Parliament. It depends on parties.

LIBY

of the vour votes. and those planning a coup with.

for a socialist not a bourgeois impotent for discipline calls was mean governmen sanctions. This central to the problem of the elections.

Such however, ally fight was not linked any struggle these allonist interests parties. was the cause of ETA the isation working class of activist Was a long Workers majority, For ' with first Euskadi the volu are place, fully The Unlike The section for rights and the correct giving even

CONTUR

June 15, # SECTIOnS

DOLLIONS

June 1977 call cir. create On the and through in the the govern. ot the an ment, use attempt options people, and climate working unity. and TOr But "national against , Suarez to expose Fraga all bourgeois …The the existing collaborationist parties heirs the and PIE Heaterses. contributed to are The with creating), impose difficulties small They of working and less demands. of the police them The want to stating

VOINCI

exercise govance they wouid with. criminal acts draw before the voting in favour of critical vote to the The the one The clear: •acco or me maory workers Astarfe gave

VUT,

parties in each province (except " liar, out, out". interest" in Euskadi where they withdrew of the ITtS The interess of tavour LCR arguing trat inere was no crear majority politics of meaning workers' party). the bourgeoisie. years main of slogans Consansus Workers' Alliance were *Unify the struggles! of hundreds, Build the alternative. *For a workers' majority in elec. at the the elections! "nan vor IOOK Basque people toral programmes of the PSOE *Abolish the monarchy and saying and the CP thing is clear: one revokotta workert got their promises of strength effectiveness are compatible without bourgeois ministers!

with the interests of the bosses.

single vote for those 25, 26, 27. the army and imperialism. And bourgeoisie-Vote Workers' request for a The broad parila- massive frontations the mentary majority" is no more than a way of begging minister- Impact Francoist bosses ¡al portfolios from Suarez.

Because basic thing is through Spain. This basically correct form of campaign could that And that not want to win. had a Have been serious im dact adopted by the much larger Candidacy

PSOE-CP

would have overwhelming expression of But that "Trotskyist" party popular will in the proved once again that its of power workers considerable and would numerical size have to defeat mare Crocee offering a clear alternative lead majority". necessary through the to Spanish workers. ballot boxes majority. don't workers,

WILL

MOTE

want. sell their Next week: Spain on the ove Colu of the municipal elections.

sichtly higher they ask us for the back up what коко". Let us say it more clearly: every government in which the

UGU

any party participates, even though Felipe Gonzalez service capitalist interests, incapable of opposing the Me do not want that govern ment. want socialist based government, dinare ou to maorty workers parties PSOE and CP. Whether its ministers should both or only parties, from the PSOE, is of secondary importance. important that What i: should not There a snore minister of a bourgeois party A government of that kind iti immense the роритано! strengthened any electoral made cied ThaT ThE against them. that the and the go, because We economic finish regressive repressive apparatus. want freedom for , that we

NATO,

the other All workers' majority elections the monarchy and tution is to be ruled. governatent. looking for its. support to trade unions and the mobilisa more than enough strength confront the inevitable realise the political and social objectives of the workers. That

OTHERE NE

government. that the We know already

PSOE

and the don't want elther to near aoour or to soBak about a gavernment like this already that they We know say we nave not yet arrived the moment for "unity of the left" that have to be we moderate and prudent because democracy is fragile and the economic crisis very hard.

O majority, welt as taking the immediate and urgent measures to satisfy the workers' demands, nas to quarantee me calino or a revolutionary Constituent Cortes, elected in conditions of Tull treedom, and not like thest those of June 15, BICCUOnS O 1977 we want a corres in wac the nationalities take part their own rather than accord pacts rancosts class why • Carrillo Felipe shameful behind a repression † hey possible and SONy the not not ****4 To workers' Page 7

PARA ACAL

FRAGA ARENIA OSA

& COALCION

DEMOCRATKA

La solacion de Ceit? But precisely • we nave are a me ome up a government

RAT

workers' unity. Without that government democracy wil more and more fragile and the i crisis harder for the workers Therefore, if the leaderships oT the tolE and the CP "don' want" it, it is necessary to force them to want it task fo workers left: to impel the majority workers' partios into bour alliance geoisie. That is another reason to put the workers' left into Parliament -to vote LCR majority we call for a vote fo the worker! • parties. The LC is going to withdrav its in agreement Workers' •and for workers electon. united class and we vote the should go parties which around together socialist and with the of workers elections as in Felipes class which and Santiago mandate break with the this way support the .. but liki

1900 : a warning against Popular Frontism ? Page 8 of the A recent showing film 1900 in Oxford gave our reviewer Mary Ann Todd the opportunity see and write about this important Bertolucci film.

Bertolucci's monu- 1900 is a. mental film two part film-his most ambitious project to date. It relates an epic tale of born the two babies on 1900-one day in same Olmo-the son of a peasant and the other-Alfredo-the sone of the padrone (land- owner). 1900 traces the develop- their relationship ment of together through childhood, the First World War, the rise the Second fascism, and the follow- War world ing liberation' It is a monumental film through WalC where narrative the personal and epic together, we see wovel traumatic experiences birth, death and revolution portrayed. Bertolucci wants when to use the film to heighten expression Cids. feeling he draws from Eisen- stein's example structure being a number of executed for Ske cnes emotional maximum impact. Emotional response Like the Odessa Battleship massacre Potemkin, Some scenes 1900 provoke an immediate emotional response. One the example violent death of the peasant • the compound woman 1n who in defiance and scorn of her fascist gropers blouse to rips her open ridicule them despite the oulcome Another is the image of the charred melted nack forms of the peasants burnt to death by the fascists.

At the same time, unlike Eisenstein Bertolucci does not want de vale personal elements in his art, either in creation or in subject matter. He does not show the same rejection of the indiv- the sentimentality iduality, aestheticism of ruling viass all. We extremely ale cot the charisma COnsCIOus ana personauty of tne bour- geois actors and actresses he Dominica uses-including de Sanda and kobert de Niro. Unknown actors ' It is interesting to note that those characters who any sno w revolutoney by awareness are played unknown actors, actresses peasants by actual and the land-workers. are nere weaknesses in the structure of 1900. It is very difficult to judge if this is a result of bad editing-the original ti m was a mammoth eight hours long and has been hacked down to 5h hours- Italian fascists: could only be fought by working class mobilisation not collaboration there is ally the work of Courbet's The Stonebreakers. confusion Bertolucci's There similarity shot of the around between head of bandaged the theatrical peasant who has sliced off Inere is his ear, and the self portraits monumental could of Van with severed pigs held down problem an such cal The And the of the ambitious scout Van before very mid- keep Laters. are stream, using heroic realism and sweat, film vomit and allegorical with one theme dance with red interspersed death. flag. another On the whole, however, the film is lyrical, rich and There singing Freud. 1S sensuous, images from the who lie linked together to convey the intellectual themes of to the advances, the film. Paintings appear his in important extremely bourgeois veteran Bertolucci. Just as in Last nationale accordian in Paris he showed lango Francis by Bacon over the credits, in the beginning of 1900 he sets the film with a painting express Volpedo Pelizza socialism Italian workers on strike in close sensuous, 1905. unfettered The whole of 1900 is of Emile the with direct through

SHOL

Zola. Alfredo to paintings in reterences the use of composition, and the and strong an emphasis on tonality. •mo's a have directly Idealistic There Zola's inspired by HOVe comparison Germinal. attempts an

TO T

overall 'painting' of workers using idealistic and romantic and the shots portraits like Millet's The wriggling • escape from death-the and more realistic- imminent Reapers SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 21 March, 1979 The and continually the tilm to from which it Olmo's terms the view results of always unavoidably chains despite to defy and Alfredo 'open' friend. relationship of Olmo Alfredo dominates adult Attilla the of the epics, by focussing Olmo carefully will characterised individuals rules tion, from the Similarly he centres they class, capitalism. Women are yet gorically dary character dislike may upstarts, stereotyped. Even educated revolutionary woman and teacher will retain signs who possible committed no matter relationship little else. of ot tens bourgeois worker like as no face surprise. To of wontel are womb, brutally mass of pink and being his before having "friends' Alfredo's tifully wife, the hot-house to sensitivity. such by the of ritualistic of decayed bourgeoisie blood and of violently sniffing cocane. Clas Colt oration. theme in have poor, films-his in his He family hearth. and in the tim fascist the portrayed which with em bittered to disarm intensity of Lady Macbeth, and through reunder attempts to

•ICCOUCH

The all time horren- under guilt, Olmo 'the we the

COIN

Only see the future through him. sexuality struggle sexual Hence greatest where their 'end of the of Olmo the says his death. (Alfredo). laundress always shrug continual struggle symbol entire film between the Stalinism. of the and his membership the Italian and rapid by his friend of coat • IU Alfredo ownership. escape of their represent no matter bourgeoisie fascists unfair will never as 'guard previous affable with the into the bourgeois should and other

ANL

which shown disarms ending workers the class within labour as of capital

WSL Conference: a new SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 21 March, 1979 step Report by forward The enormous changes in the situation planned solution. polltical Far brought by from the Iranian revolution and by

SUCH

remedies. stresses, the the of massive firmly the struggles against Labour's trade war pay policy Britain were _ano imperialist the major points of tied class the discussion at the Third nationally. Annual Conference of the Head off Workers Socialist League on March 10-11. The document important deve ooment trace ways in this year's conference was the presentation for the first time of forward full-scale International flowing Persoectives cocument. from year's work WSL's International Sub- sought at each committee The document draws of balance sheet massive balance of forces with lism economic ano Doritical CrISIS confronting world imperialism privinges depend. It points the impact of substantial this CrisIs The Stalinist bureacuracies' within the ano degenerated anc and troops worses stales involvement Reactionary role overall the AnO And reactionary role played anomer by re- formist" and stalinist leaders in capitalist class country, stresses the necessity direct to resolve historic crisis of leadership turned that now confronts the working Popular Front class internationally. Though drawing bureaucratic leaders of drawr mass workers' parties into direct the Massive revolutionary that followed neaval removal Shah Culiarie ot iran "austerity" measures. with the toppling of the puppet regime, the document bakntiar Fourth International correctly the avult cannes. ano tis adencies in the wake of the defeats inflicted political the on US imperialism in Vietnam, Stalinist Cambodia and Angola, and the states workers of Portuguese fascism downtar revolution in in April 1974. talist countries. shows the interrelation- concudes by ship between this political crisis necessity for the mounting and crisis which continues to to aery international imperialist necessary allemot Iran revolution points to need for Marxist leadership John Lister

BLIC SER

leaders to tina a rational, lending itself to Ine cocument

END

crisis then ding direction intensified national antagonisms between the nations, and intensi- Inter- goes which. from berne strenotneneo ov the movement Stalinhe bureaucrats in the deformed and degenerated workers states have head off revolutionary developments in order to preserve the delicate ship for these tasks. imperia- Conference discussion on which their power and focussed on the historic signifi- cance of Iranian revolution section examines in some detail the role in intensitying ever advisors Cuban ine crists or imperialism, and or in Africa, the the role of Stalinist forces Africa. Uncer - Small forces stood as a part of the Kremlin's counter-revolutionary Important contributions from Camit

TTOM

com race Kev section Denmark, examining the looks at the ways in which the lems of taking the struggle internationally, up in that controntation country with very small forces; with the oppressed masses, has and from Turkish Cordet struggle wild reported or The cover ment a revolutionary against the repression of Ecevit's crisis-ridden with their plans DoureCOls covern problems ment. and other ane faced in the Kurdish struggle for self-determination Greetinos conterence were received from the Spanish Lag Socialist and the Ameri. Pointing to the necessity for overnow or the talk bends.. bureaucracies in the It was agreed that a special alongside resolution on the Iranian revo- the lution be discussed tue cool. document Committee The incomine emphasising the adopted publication and side-by-side with the full text of Fourth the International Perspectives in I rOTSKVIST provide the next issue the theoretical magazine Trotskyism revolutionary During the second discussion the National Committee's British Perspectives document was able draw together many of the important aevelopments in the work of the Workers Socialist League during • previous yadl will leading analysis Ine torces towards further, intensified class confrontations 1979, which the WSL must play a key role. Leadership Our leadershio of struggles against nursery health and service cuts, Watt Con union

LOIS

and trace recognition was the experiences flowing trom struggling against To SOCIalISTS the Callaghan-Healey clique within the Labour Party. rartcula aurentor focussed on the almost entirely successful struggle in defence of the Cowley y. inese mititants from BL's Assembly Plant Cowley had only stood under threat of expulsion union loss TrOm the elected union the hands of TGWU witch-hunters Defence Lamoden succeedeo not ony in intictin a major setback to the TGWU bureaucracy, out also in estab

NUPE-TEN

lishing the basis for a continuing A report on structie tor alternative, revolu tionary leadership within

WSL

full-time Britains biggest manual union

DISCUSSIOT

also ince tot of WL involvement in over the past year. jessons the public sector pay Twelve struggles, particularly in the London area. seen 117€ witere we haemerses as To p strengthening force prepared to fight Socialist Press despite oniv for all-out difficulties: strike action-a policy which had won of Red almost the full claim in Camden Youth League; the Speakers stressed the way in which anass ve developments in both the public of pamphlets sector and haulage drivers' of our theoretical magazine.

struggle higher than 1926 But the General Strike-had confirmed requires and the orientation of the document rapid towards the fight for indepen- if political

VOL

dent class organs of the working class-in particular counCIs problems are to be solved.

action-and the necessity even within these spontaneous Branches struggles striding of a conscious ever struggle examine every need to Tionary leadership the WSL. Youth movement publication programme received A number of vouth member: tremendous as well as trade unionists came to tere me or phe importance of microphone to remind successful launching during 1978 the Socialist Youth League as an autonomous youth agree- movement olitical

TODAY

ment with the WSL. importance branches chou doing The aevelopment ot work among al sections of youth was emphasised point was TUTEner underlined by the adoption at the conference the WSL's first Student Perspectives docu ment, and the presence at the conference number of students won to the WSL ovel the past year.

INSIDE:

Plans were also laid work CIne Do itica carried out by the WSL among Programme working class women Women's paper Noting the increased radicali.

sation ted in sation rect recruitmen woLl, and our move ment's strong record in struggles facilities, abortion rights,

CUTS

ano •ТОГ conference declared it a priority for the incoming NC to establish a women's Ine Ducation paper And, following lively debate ore conterence discussion will con- tinue within the the oppression of women in the vourecols lamiy unit Page 9 Public sector workers: part of the massive movement against Labour's pay polic!

party organi- £400 realised oneach sation and finances presented by CoUnT. urgartisers such enthusiasm • Consieerane fitting reflection of the strength achievements of the movement and determination of the WSL's Third Annual Conference months' work had We invite readers of Socialist and main tenance Press to consider joining with us of the weekly in taking torward the fight ove consider- the next period for the building ine launching leadership inhe rio working revolutionary Youth and the Socialist publication and the reconstruction of Class ot a major book (Communists Trotskyist Fourth the Against Revolution); a number International , and further issues period ahead makes possible

RED YOUTH

numericar drowin…in 'the opportunitie No. 9 March 1979 missed Monthly paper of the organisational Socialist Youth League were urged now available price 5p plus 7p postage from SYL, 31, work from the standpoint of the Dartmouth Park Hill, recruit new forces to London NW5 1HR Appeals for a collection and for pledges to launch a renewed response, with

TROTSKYISM-

Mandel's dance with Stalinism • The significance of the Transitional • The U.S. SWP 40 years on Trotskyism Today No. 4 now available, price 45p plus 20p p&p from WSL, 31, Dartmouth Park Hill, London NW5 1HR

FULL SUPPORT TO GARNERS

Page 10

INDUSTRIAL

Garners strike, In the intense preparations continued throughout week for the March 24 Day of Action. This mark event musl cecisive turnino doint tor ine 14-month long struggle weekend's demonstration, carry Region 1 TGWU bureaucrats responsibility starving Ron Todd. Les Shorter and Sid vital reconton strike Staden, who will address this material aid and support.

DON'T GO INTO

THE FIGHT BLINDFOLD!

CAPITAL

SOCIALIST

For a

GET

clear

PRESS

lead in the struggle against wage control, cuts and redundancies

SPECIAL OFFER

10 ISSUES POST FREE!

If you would like to take advantage of this offer fill in the coupon below. Please send me 10 copies of Socialist Press: I enclose £1.50.

Name Address. Send to Socialist Press, 31, Dartmouth Park Hill, London

NW5 1HR.

NEWS

preIA Ten months ago-first Garners Day of Action a DAY OF ACTION! Their aim bureaucratic the all-out confronta. avoiding TiOn necessary Will Tids reduced the strikers to only a section of the original 84.

€2,000 Despite original donation from the TGWU and a regular flow of money into the official strike fund, oniy tricke ot casn ders inrouen te the strikers on the picket lines.

hand-out last 'major £38 TrON Tine UnOT 'Christmas bonus'! Agrehment time the police police dur celeil imitation ot ine Dickers. lo six per restaurant continues to open and dọor harrassmen intimidation by police and scab thugs. 'Unofficial'

TGWU

Regional Yet the Committee minutes for Januarı berate 'unofficial' elements the people want to win (strike) for their refusal to bow A poorly attended mass meeting at Dunlop's threat- ened Speke plant last Thurs- day heard the latest desper- ate proposals by 'union leaders determined to head off any call for an occupa- tion of the factory. Among them was a call for a programme non vioi8tt "public disobedience". , This was a ludicrous send-off when given

TGWU

General Executive chair- man Pemberton led stan Dunlop workers in a one hour sit-down in thi main TOCa Speke. Farcical More such farcical proceed- ings are olanned • t ne meetino also heard Pemberton-a sistent opponent of ocupation -call OTeTIEN what DunO• S called an ''independent com- The routine now management manoeuvre of threatening to shut down plants :unless union bureaucrats force through drastic speed- up and "voluntary" compulsory redundan- cies continues to take a toll of jobs in heavy industry. Last week one- saw a "reprieve" granted by Meta Box management to its Portsmouth plastic film factory-atter trade union collaborators had drawn up their own plan for 70 redun- dancies the present "TOm 560 workforce, cuts manning levels, and "certain industrial relations assuran- ces'. to the treacherous idea that: "these days of action should be kept orderiy with oy tEE agreed numbers at each establishment." Naturally such brazen sabo.

of the then tage struggle coveret CassiCa accusation that it is the union rank and file which has let the surikets downe , the rank and file had the support expactedi on not how these oureaucrats coulo have expected support while continuously sabotaging and circulars cvef sír ce rd v e oecnor zvone stage is hard to imagine.

Despite all this the strikers remain determined to wir An appeal was made at the Stalinist-dominated LCDTU last weekend (although strikers were preventer •Trom distributing leaflets inside the hall), and a been found ICoSE l QN many parts of country. Tne Disobedience at Dunlops Such committee would presumaov mncuoe d sotukat do- of MPs, clergymen and alongside gooders top union bureaucrds. Closure looms How it could obtain access any or bunoo's ousmnert secrets without a plant occupa- tion and supporting strikes was But with the closure date of April looming even closer and taiks with management or Ine sackings due to open next woek, patience with committeo's" the :*action protest •«i nerina Tutt e gimmicks is wearing thin.

A policy of occupation is the only way to mount a fight.

The record of the struggle so tar makes it clear that in orael adopt such a policy workers must first challengo the DanKTUO

UNIOI

focoror Speke. SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 21 March, 1979 Fight bosses closure threats! "viability" of the plant.

Union officials boasted that this plan, How it would assist the Dy sayllis di estimated £450,000 on the viability of the 70 union be wages bill, would ensure the rem oved men oers from the plàn, or the state of health of the 490 remain- ing is not explained But further side effect of the deat a similat union report is to be drawn Box's plastic up Metal film factory in Speke on Ports Mensevsiue- wnert mouth production was orig- inally transferred There doubt little therefore that the 70 jobs in Portsmouth Lvwdy are only the first of a whole spate ot redundancies in this sector as local union bureau- with each Cials Cul DeLe oier co minimise Ine wages and of their conces mem bers Duffy Meanw hile GEC's at Trafford Park factory 700 workers were last week threatened with closure thev did not ut their bar sub- and on overume contracting. And Courtauld's Spennymoor pidll! County manage- gunam This week the Day of Action ment have threatened close discussed Liverpool was on down, sacking all 1,570 Trade counci ana a conatior workers-in CDURot of £130 came straight to the of 30% rejection strikers from the Liverpool reuunadncies London the Mammer Duffy praised smith Coop branch of USDAW resolved to donate £50 visis were dianned tor unis of union measult week to Heathrow airport and leaders' collaboration could other workplaces in London the De seen last week wnen lnt DUTIKl al su

TOWUICU

Institute of Works Managers Emergency and General Purposes of the praised AUEW leader Terry Committee TGWU on Tuesdav to Dutiy's to indus

LOTOOI

trial relations. demand an end to talk and a start to action. The Institute called for a The for finance and change in workers' attitude HiCul regular ettective picketing to redundancy. Rather than remains central to the winning the ot unemploy of the dispute ment, it should be seen as Y eT in mne ace or oureau- "an opportunity tor training cratic sabotage matters cannot be left there for a more rewarding occup- March 24 Day rrOW anOR. The kind of "occupa- Action mne cal must co our to another, even larger mass event tion" that is needed to fight immediately be the present wave of sackings Iidhlldll

LTTI

Momentul rationalisation and closure, support. This must be combined with however, workers' occu- of threatened fac the call of the Strike Committee pation tories, backed by supporting Tor a nationa cerecate conter ence of the TGWU to organise strikes. the victory of the strike Rather than opening text SUCr conterence the books phoney govern- betrayals of the leaders must be ment "Tetraining schemes brought to the attention of while on the dole, workers entire mem Dersni. ano Une fight the action vital to win prepared

HUS I

UNCII

profit-hungry Victory Garners books of strikers! em ployers to w no seek force workers to shoulder the entire cost their Ol economic crisis The fight must be for the defence of all jobs; work- sharing without loss of pay; and the nationalisation of without compensation that seek those employers to foist their problems onto the workforce demand Suck policies ' that Duffy and other friends management within the union bureaucracy are driven from office, and revolutionary leadership built in the workers' move- 111c l

MORE DETAILS

Please send me more information about the WSL.

Name. Address Send to Workers Socialist League, , Dartmouth Parl Hill, London NW5 IHR

BL convenors pull London Division votes Officials gang up on steelworkers SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 21 March, 1979 out of worker participation' Grudgingly and reluc- as the main torce rigpting tor a withdrawal. tantly, under And mounting pressure from the member- BL manacement after the miser.

ship and after Leyland able 5% pay settlement and the general offensive management left them high dry, Cars Senior and contins OL the material basis Stewards last week voted to need for. workers to fight inde- give the company SiX for pendently notice of union months the ana Lo exbes! withdrawal from the scheme witn its talk o1 "workers' participation" talaoeenl. scheme. No way forward Management had repetedly ignored •Pas SenioT stewards to consult them more Of course priot to imposing policies on the stewards' decision this worktorce: Wolte most senior resolve servants of management, they like to know tion' they offer no way forward But the che sess exce e ce o policies they have to help ram company's down their members' throats.

Resurts points to the necessary Mext steps. Opposed decision Clearly many of the Senior of £71.3 Stewards hope million The will the six use months notice period to come which waas ment. up witn some straw al weic they s of the honted the did So too will the leaders interest presumably 'Keep

OTO

VOT KIng way into the pockets or private Scanlon--who opposed the bnkers and investors, who cream off therefore the lion's share of decision to withdraw. this is easier said than but proTit Trom done. The principled stand "nationalised"" firm. against participation taken by Buckle down

WSL

and supporters ane oiner eTT wineers Trie Cowley Assembly Plant has paid off, in that Cowley now stands was transformed into a loss by face of Sirs-who The real Concordat-style leadership ed ebeca Insuit. is being exhibited by leaders of Britain's biggest steel deal way union, the Iron and Steel vu vv steeiworkers than they were a year ago.

Trades Confederation

(ISTC).

General Secretary Bill Sirs is

U JUU

steerwor kers next year. BSC's rationalisation one ot ine extreme ront wino rump on the TUC that signed A Better Way. document axed thousands wage avocatn permanent Threatens controls. thorpe and 2,300 in the closure Steelworkers are likely to of the Bilston steelworkers.

start pavina the price tor this "Better way" policy this year if Sirs has his way. The ISTC's Bilston •arnetcaly was small 8% claim-garnished with reprieved last year after Sirs got of other demands at the ISTC conference series up incudina a shorter

WOT KITIO

tredenee week extra holcavs and akkk stee strike in its detence.

payment for past productivity- Not this year turned down flat by been found "A list Friday made ers decising ariusn steer manacement. wno have offered only 5% plus a productivity deal. everi to fight the closure until GEchall

AT THE TOP...

UNION DUES

Leyland's oosastu ed involving £13.6 orussaltiue, mulon in ceneenc davnent.

hostility to and £24.7 million in plant closure costs. oratemen noweve jobs against blamed the "'losses" on unsatis- helps factory crealt manning to snow ine the fields sITiKes-onorn •t unseo lev inelas their testify to the fact next to no been lost through war tittwatiul sales have Joint STR KeS between worker and Chairman Michae! Edwardes called the axing of has for another 3.000 iobs. So having borne the brunt of speed-up and rationalisation, the Ene senior Leyland WorKiorCE does not expected to buckle down still further in make good question: order [nIS C 1 ss -ne e ecvc money handed the redundancy year their fellow workers by the company! 1978 Statement 01 ne ca must o rausco dl once for the opening of BL's The statement shows a profit books, along with those of the munon was siasneo Di orontaoe component s. drc which went the banks-to show exactly hon payments-£25 million many sections of British capital 15/7 are PrOstit IvOr exploitation ot bL workers The remaining £31 million in These firms and banks must found its nationalised, without com- sensaton. Unoel worker: management of nationalised engineer planned, supposedly

TAIS

ing industry. Meanwhile all moves towards further Leyland with the 10U9175 oemano tor work snarino on tull pay backed up where necessary ine other ilo milon protit by strikes and occupations.

they had heard more details of opposes class this their members' case! therefore it ov caln lo Ac • Pres maoiv

ISTC

The scene is therefore set for necessary for now will which leave members argue with should keec worse

OTT

leaoers tney their jobs! But there is also little chance advanced level of the "participation" alongside will be anything like union tns mne mandement meeting with Sirs and the ISTC execu- seem like an interview tive must of jobs, witn tae cor. the pinnacle of Sirs' tOOS ar scun squalid class collaboration so far must Invitatiol "people's orince' narles Windsor to address the ISTC'S delegate conference in Bourne- temporarily mouth in June. While the fellow feeling and Sirs and his fellon between all-out Darco te reacuona probably not unique, there are Now he has few union bureaucrats more Better Way". . Accor- to divert need ot a royal decos leaders meeune attention Trom inelr Tota betrayal of the membership.

(EXCUSE ME ORSHALL- BUT THIS

YEA ATC CENTeKENC WI

BE EVEN SMALLER THAN

TLAST YEAR'S!

OT21

WA ONDR ARAKRLHO LISSAM

YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT AND SLATE THE BOSSES-

A REAL SCOURGE OF MANAGEMENT!

IOW ABOUT YOU, BILL?

HA HA HA!

At a NUPE stewards' conference Thursday af tad given sy the night, called by the London lead given by Divisional Council of NUPE, over 200 stewards called for that the pay finished in the local authorities indefinite all-out, strike The only action in pursuit of the £60/ for • spreading 35 claim, local authorities hour pay beginning from this Wednes- form ot ar maln reSOUTIOn day. The conference included a branch. of ambulance large delegation SE OnverE • TrON LOndOn. Speaker after speaker spoke in support indefinite strike Bro the Divisional The conference also decided to torm a London strike com. in the four unions in the health service and ways agreed ambulance and act vils •ay ciant To orve su••om to oca curnor ity manual workers who are still support dispute at a local level with tuer own oorouens by Important step Harry The resolution for indefinite ane e SINKe large number from the platform by Divisional Council is obviously members and Hackney first step orLaL left the hall towards the end resuming, the Tont Tor Ene Tun claim amongst health workers.

the meeting The Divisional Concil, how taken no steps at all Council made ever. have to spread the action whatsoever to on sav te other sections of NUPE Band to that nurses ruling workers DUDle

SEC LO

TaKe SIr KE

COHSE,

GMWU-

a position identical to that despite the fact that many local authority sections from all four Trom other unions are at this moment on the Health Service. strike for the full claim.

This serious weakness, which virtually amounts to a betrayal shop .steward of those local authority sections minster Hospital reflected

SENI

SUIKE.

during the port of the delegations meeting, from claim, . way and strike for ower Hamlets have been on strike claim?

H'MMM, YES, THE REDUNDANCIES MAY HAVE

BALE OUT BSC-BUT THEY DONT

HELPED

HELP OUR MEMBERSHP FIGURES!

BETTER CUT THE ORDER FOR LUNCHES..

BE SERIOUS!! OR WE'LL END UP WITH

THAT SHOP FLOOR RABBLE UP ON THE

PLATFORM PUTTING THE CAT AMONG

THE PIGEONS..

Page 11 to step up fight several weeks over pay walkec Nister brear Olneo a speaker from ower Hamlets in out ot ine nail as an expressior the lack Morris, attacking Jamie also Divisiona ? from the Westminstei

•MOSO TOI

who has successfully persuaded Lounc-wno actay oeser .offensive was his own branct ) accept the 9% otter amidst a blaze of publicit concrete • proposa in the bourgeois press. The task, is …Tse strike io Ine now to take up was put in i the the London DC's belated strike the call and press home the anemaer le offensive for the £60/35 hour JonT Seymour, from Camden General week clait. Hospitals Defeated . Seymour proposed that Council should in cæn c conțe ence oz xv sc on discuss of resuming action for the danger amendment was from Divisiona Council members. was attackec A conference of NUPE Divisional. full time officer Barker as being imprac- stewards in London last finallv defeated week adopted a policy of by a majority of about 2-1 with taking industrial action of abstentions called to do so in defence of . Tower namiet delegations had the threatened St. Columba's hospital. The moved by resolution As well as this the Divisional Arthur Steel from the Samaritar challenge no Hospital did not .offer a com the Executive's plete policy :struggle should not against the closure St but pointed in the aCTIO over pay- Columba's, right cirection — owaro inoe the RCN, which separates nurses pendent working class action to trace unionises stop the cuts Meanw.hlt •sti inrent This was challenged from the ened Elizabeth Garrett Ander- floor by Gillian Brear. a nursing Hospital-which has been from the West- „veo om cose tor taedes asked three years only by a prolonged how the NUPE EC could back work-in backed by the threat of nurses who nave struck in sup meeate

STI KE

action snoule ancillary workers' it close-faces a new test on 20 then instruct March Health Service axeman David mnem not to surre ons uneir own Ennal: oue „ Tal ae take the final decision about the hospital's future. And the signs are that, strikebreaking speeches and through- anti-union statements ouT me •elc sector bav tol Ennals likely to decide to close the EGA The Save the EGA campaign, aware of this danger, is calling Right organisations wishing to

. LI SC

CULi

SUPPUT

public meeting on March 21, at the EGA , at 7.30 p.m March 8 will a "lunch- time accion at the cua. assem bling midday and lasting until 2 p.m. Trade union .delegations particularly are important. And local union branches are urged Campaign speaker to their next meeting, to outline the savage programme of cuts scheduled or in progres: in the Camden and Islington area Other health union branches renew must arso cec art pledges take all-out strike action should Ennals attempt to

SOSE

Ine become a national focus for working class resistance to the Sirs Cuts.

CHRIST YOURE RIGHT!!

BUT DIN'T YOU SOUND

THAT COULD BE REALLY

OFF AGAINST REDUNDANCIES

EMBARASSING.. WAAT

LAST YEAR?

THE HELL CAN WE DO?

GENTLEMEN-/'VE GOT THE ANSWER!..

A RESPONSIBLE MILITANT, A REAL MAN

BROTHER

PRINCE CHARLES!

Callaghan plays the EEC

SOCIALIST

PRESS

card Is Callaghan really out the to upset Common Market apple- cart? Or is he just grasping for handfuls of rotting fruit to throw at the Tory leaders?

This question arises from a spate of anti-EEC rhetoric.

Callaghan during last Irom in which he even wett

LICW

warnings Britain might refuse to pay contri- bution from 1981 if there was not extensive reform of its policies and expenditure.

In tub-thumping LinC style he denounced the well- known fact that three- Valery-I'm so worried about Jim quarters of the EEC budget Market-which has changed capitalist club which is allocated to agriculture- little if at all since Callaghan benefits only the bosses including the subsidising of Wilson in 1975 toured Sick to the teeth of the tood moun- thể country jointly with pay Common tains, wine lakes and olive Tory leaders campaigning Market prices with British for Oll puddles 'yes' vote the the working class referendum on membership.

would undoubtedly respond Alienated support Presumably preliminary principled campaign But his remarks have soundings the June on designed to pull Britain out European Assembly good deal more to do with the EEC and to fight for a seeking to regain revealed alienated elections have Socialist United. States of Labour support in Britain massive hostility to the EEC Europe. But Callaghan of course than seriously wanting any who foot changes in the Common the bill for membership of a offers neither that nor any Signs of a split in Iran regime capitalist Bazargan government are not so central to Khomeini "no tis more trauca same forces and there is increasingly bickering between The continued upsurge is in no way controlled bv the bazargan nas even pointedly Iran is movement being of the masses mass In stopped talking of the "Islami increasingly redirected republic" is due producing new tensions in whict to Islamic Tantualy the camp of the country's voted on in a referendum on 30 March. new would-be cratic rights of and rulers, new women But Bazargan has publicly other groups. betrayals the part of on we comet increasinor ine violence san embarrass would-be leaders of the abject support being given to ment the government of pro-capitalist regime working class and a new Bazargan and Sanjabi who "Marxist-Lenin. urgency to the task of build.

leaoers or une want ist" and left-wing Islamic bourgeois state apparatus in Iran ing a revolutionary Trotsky- guerrillas and country's ist leadership. These "left" leaders are play- ences with the imperialists.

ing an increasingly treacherous Khomeini's Islamic commit- rol They have tried to stop the Immense obstacle tees nave continue to moose summary justice on many agents mobilisations of women fighting tyranny, including The armed Khomeini com. Khomeini's orders for them to military officers and the Shah's winters and tre our worr wear the veil, arguing that these and factory committees are an.

secret Doice SAVAK This terror, however, which immense obstacle to this aim.

reaction. have workers comices And the same • leaders have launched a wave of wage claims

FUND

to loss of wages. during given support to the reactionary Bazargan regime. the strikes and lock outs of the This treachery points to the HaST Tew montAs Bazargan has dismissed these urgency of building a genuinely revolutionary party Iran as "excessive" and economically lead and unite the damaging. fight for democratic rights £393.93 in towards our He has also described wide- spread demands (encouraged by £600 constituent assemov. ricArs toi target and women, self determination. for eleven days to go. A tough none los TreE and for dangerous electricity challenge but one we demands jobs and demands which cannot afford to fall short bankruptcy nationalsation •i inaustry ano the banks; for the establishment On. ober of genuine of workers' All donations should be equally vehement against rising power independent of the bour- Socialist Press demands for national autonomy sent to: Fund, and the stamic hierar Monthly 31, Dart- self-determination from the chy: and for a workers' and Park Hill, London people Baluchis- mouth ot. Kurdistan, peasants' government in Iran.

tan and Azerbijan.

NW5 1HR.

An Immealate part or such a SP Lottery revolutionary programme Open bickering should London campaign the Februarv Draw Winner.

DOVCOLL

No. Bazargan even referendum in which the masses 080 (prize £13.50). nas specifically warned the Soviet being the Hobson's given Jinion against supporting such choice of two reactionary alter.

natives-the Shah or Khomeini's demaros. These concerns the "Islamic republic". 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 other kind of socialist or internationalist Instead, the as govern- stum biti the wreckage of the devolu- fiasco-offering buy offs to irate bourgeois nationalists and squalid political deals with reaction- ary Ulster Unionists-he looks certain to end up lead- ing the Labour Party into an enforced early General Elec- tion unable to offer even a shred of a policy to benefit the working class With inflation climbing back double figures into (and big increases in petro.

and food prices to come), unemployment, and mass •of still millions workers waiting to challenge the of remnants government pay policy, an election could hardly a less attractive prospect for Callaghan. Chin up The one consoling factor that must keep his chin up Opposition to police use of the SUS law, especially against young blacks, growing within the labour movement. the Vagrancy Act 1824 gives the police the power. to arrest some loitering with intent to commit an arrestable offence" power 01 Have

ETIC

arrest in such cases warrant on "reasonable suspic- ion". No independent witnesses need be produced in court; trial is before magistrate, not a and jury; the defendant almost certain or nave comi mitted any crime The

SUS

law is one of the main way. harass black youth. In 1977 'L' division the Metropolitian Police Brixton, which includes • made 244 arrests for SUS 178 of these were of black youth. Hundreds of other black le

NUEU

THE

MUGGERS

ARE

AFTER YOU

The Midlands Regional Committee of the

TGWU

acted out one of the final scenes of the long story of the Cowley 9 in Oxford last Friday. The Committee took the is the fact that even under these conditions there is no of sign whatever any challenge his leadership from the so-called 'left within the Party The so-called 'alternative manifesto' drawn by 'lefts' on the Party's liaison committee does not even mention nationalisation, and itself confines pathetic generalities and gestures such as abolition of the House of Lords. • Principled fight Only if a principled fight is waged within the ranks of Labour Party for of the Callaghan removal and a socialist, leadersmup internationalist programme can there be any prospect of changing this situation, exposing the "left' laKer: and driving out the right wing. Such a struggle is crucial Socialists must take it up at once. Fight the SUS law! youth would have been stopped Ine ponce ane cuestionee but not charged The Scrap

SUS

Campaign was recently formed bi mmi. grant organisations to fight for repeal of the SUS law and Students Unions are increasingly taking up the fight against SUS which poses a threat to black Demonstrated Only last month a student from South London College was arrested on SUS while walking with a friend in Portobello Road on a Saturday afternoon. Fellow students later amonstrated Notting Police

OUTSOE

Hilli Station. Now the • question is being • The our Party. A resolution went to the Labour Party last Conference from camen GenerO an Labour MPs have signed a Commons motion

UNITY IS STRENGTH

TGWU Region 5 climbs down eight nine mem sor TrON Levens guilty Cowley Assembly Plant of a breach of union rules-but то така по аско &rint Toom other than ask for assurances that in future those involvec will work within the rules of the The Committee adopted this position having been faced witt BL plant if the original recom.

mended sentences of expulsior Alan Thornett and banning from in case of most office the out. Last the Friday eight front appeared of Regional Finance and General Purposes Committee-who carried out the disciplinary hear asked to give the focant were assurances required. Completely innocent Whilst giving the assurance (since working within the rules of the union membership anyway and every member to tha effect he to loin they fill WHel application form made it clear they they were and remain completely innocent made ine allegations against them. All the eight intend appeal against the decision tha they were in breach of rule 11- coverie other conduct. other member of the ne-rank cort. secretary o the 5/293 branch is to appeal to the Final Appeals •Committee the adis The decisio General Executive Council the uphold that he be banned from holding office until

GEC

decides olnerwis: The Greater Reaional Council of the labour Party has also passed mously a resolution condemning law. called a demonstration against the

SUS

law for April Brixton. failure of the Labour government to repeal the

• SUS

law comes as no surprise trom a covernment Whic strengthened police powers; arming of the police; used the strike breaking Inugs of the or against pickets and is even today using the police and army as scabs against ine ambulancemen That is why the fight to end the SUS law and all these other move. MUs taken up by every trade unionist and Labour Party member part of the fight to remove the wing roni Caraohan-mezier leadership and defend the demo- of cratic rights the working Class. Hackney march against the SUS law last month