Workers Socialist League

Socialist Press, Trotskyism Today and the Trotskyist International Liaison Committee, 1975–1984

Bl Craftsmen Vote to Strike

Socialist Press no. 144, 4 April 1979 · scan p. 11 · about 548 words

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Kurdistan and Gorgan (inhabited by: the Turkoman people).

In Kurdistan the army was not enough and Bazargan sent in his overworked secret weapon the "liberal" and allegedly highly-respected Ayatollah from Tehran, Taleghani.

At an extraordinary mass meeting in the Kurdish city of Sanandaj, Taleghani addressed a huge crowd, trying to calm them after the previous week's violent fighting for self-determination.

He said he supported the right of the Kurds to decide their own future.

' Shouted down

He was strongly applauded.but he failed to get the Kurdish crowd to applaud the name of Khomeini:

And he was himself shouted down when he said: "If | ordered the chief of staff to withdraw the army could you govern your country alone?"

The Kurds unanimously against the murder of a youth by pro-Khomeini militia, was savagely attacked by the Army and the Islamic militias.

99% claim On Monday, before the vote was officially counted, Khomeini claimed that over 99% of Iran's people have voted for his Islamic republic in the referendum.

But the mobilisation of the masses against the new drive to reactionary Islamic dictatorship is giving proof that Khomeini's election "results" are a lie.

It will take more than fraudulent polls, or the demagogy of Ayatollahs, to assure the victory of counter-revolution in Iran.

But equally it will take more than mass action to establish a workers' and peasants' government-that demands the building of a revolutionary, Trotskyist party capable of leading the fight for democratic rights, for the demands of the working class, and for workers power and socialism. At last Saturday's delegate conference of the British Leyland Craft Committee there was a 3-1 majority vote to take a recommendation for strike action back to mass meetings in the factories.

A further meeting of the Craft Committee is due to take place this Thursday (5 April) and if there is a majority for the strike then the whole skilled workforce will be called out on Friday 8 April.

This will effectively close down most of Leyland immediately, as the committee now includes electricians and since the 200 stewards at conference represented all two of BL's major plants.

What the craft committee is saying is that unless the company or the union officials meet them to discuss their demand before Friday, the strike will go ahead.

This does not fit in a few selected senior stewards.

Central issue

If the strike goes ahead it will become a central issue in the election. The question to pose to all Labour candidates will be where they stand on this fight in defiance of closure threats for increased wages. tion of Terrorism Act was passed through the House Commons by a Labour government without opposition, in one sitting.

The mood created by the Neave bombing could usher in further repressive measures.

But the fact that reaction reigns unchecked is first and foremost a product of the betrayal of Irish republicans by Labour _and union leaders in Britain.

It is epitomised by the fact that Arthur Scargill, darling of the 'lefts' , allows the NUM to sponsor Mason in Parliament and Mason sponsors the policies of Neave in Ireland.

However, if the Provisional IRA believe that a bombing campaign aimed at returning the Tories to power makes conditions more favourable to

← Contents of Socialist Press no. 144, 4 April 1979