Socialist Press no. 146

CALLAGHAN BACKS workers"

PRESS

"'LEFTS' IN

NEWHAM

Last week's surprise address. Newham events in Some General Management Com- North East Labour Party confirm once refusal to oppose inimigra- again the dependence of tion controls. Callaghan's right wing Nationalist anti-socialist leadership on the aimless lefts' of Others nationalist call for the Tribune Group. controls former Tribune As guise of Group James ChaTman this country, Dickens resigned in a huff as prospective candidate after worKers failing LO a unannous employers and threatens to his draft election vote for create address, and other countries. fellow right wing Transport House bureaucrats nomin- Dickens' Iallure to ated Tribune editor Richard the withdrawal Clements of their trooos rom are did proposed substitutes three for the seat. that include an explicit Flushed out ment fight Still mourning the deser- removal of the present right tion of Tory infiltrator wing leadershipp Prentice, who was eventual- Labour Party ly flushed out by wage controls in particular.

sustained struggle the Newham Party, Callaghan to concede on any of these Tribune's clearly sees issues and clung doggedly to politics as crucial his support for the reaction halt barricade any ary advance of principled social- •cordat. ist policies. The Newham Party how- MIMOUS aLacK ever had registered consider- Councillor John Plant, who opposition basic last year himself stood in aole elements of Tribune's so- the local elections and un- called "left wing" platform seated as put forward by Dickens socialist manifesto opposed his proposed election the

ALD

EEP TORY

AWS OUT

WRITS

F THE

WONT

ALIP PARN

Bevan (far right) during fight to remove Prentice

SOCIALIST

Weekly paper of the Workers Socialist League * No. 146 * April 18, 1979 * 15p members ot the challenged his PHOTO: John Sturrock opposed the Im porl which, under the "defending jobs" to

SCCKS

alliance between 'British" unemployment Callaghan Delegates also challenged leadership. call tor of British He declared that Plant- who has since been And there were demands suspended by the Labour for his should Group adoress

COLSSLCEU

• struggle the right commit- against the and 1s a well-known

TOT

wig, supporter of Socialist Press of the not the

-SHOUIC

Labour Party. and against Yet it was clearly Dickens himself who Dickens however refused was refusing to put forward a programme to defend the working class. TUC-government Con When his adoption was formally vote, put to une Instead, he launched a Dickens' position achieved a majority. Petulantly La Dour declaring that this was inadequate, he stormed from the meeting and sub- Ratepayer on mitted his resignation prospecuve canaidale. Callaghan-Healey Predictably, Tory the press-which, along with Labour's entire right-wing, defended crypto-Tory Prentice until his final gasp Party-has Labour in une now rallied to the defence "left winger" of supposed Dickens against "extremists" and "Trotsky- ists" in Newham. For Tories, the for Callaghan and for Tribunites like Dickens it is unthink-

PRENTIC

able that Labour Party

LEWIS

members and the trade unionists who sponsor the

M°CORMIC

Party should the haVe slightest control the over

RIRDS OF

that they put into

MIPS

office

VOTE LABOUR: SACK CALLAGHAN!

United front against socialism Tribune The City and CBI can now vote Labour! Tribune-no fight Prentice But while these people the reactionary politics openly argue against moves make MPs limelight accountable the so-called necessity to carry "Trotskyists"? of Militant Group have back pedalled frantically away from any confrontation with the Callaghan leader- ship in Newham. native. In Denied moves Militant uporte Brandy supporters Bradley Bevan have fallen over themselves

SIULICS

to deny any attempt what- stand •Bradley

CYCL

Marxist (Dickens' runner-up in the labour selection procedure) as possible candidate in fight Newham against Callaghan's defend the chosen three-man list. interests of Though some Militant class. supporters spoke up against Dickens, none wish to risk a fight the Callaghan clique that might endanger their cosy relation- ship with the party bureau- cracy It seems therefore, that having disposed Tory exposed ancl Tribunite 'left' the Newham UM will unis week lace a Hobson's between and choice mobilise the fellow Tribunite Clements, right winger Bryn anti-EEC Jones or 'left' nationalisation Ron Leighton industry, Nevertheless the compensation, Newham struggle, rudely disrupting the reactionary election truce within the economy. Labour Party anator cus

OUT NOW

WSL

MANIFESTO

Our policies on all the key questions in the election Price 5p from Socialist Press sellers or (plus 7p postage) from 31, Dartmouth Park Hill London NW5 1HR axes Obs Only days before redun- dancy notices expire, the "Action Dunlop Commit- tee" supposedly leading the fght to defend 2,500 jobs PHOTO: Chris Davies, Report 'at the firm's Speke factory has produced its own plan for mass sackings and speed up. Again and again the "Action Committee" has vigorously denounced Workers Socialist leaflets which nave called tor a policy or occupation linked to the fight for solidarity throughout the Dunlop essential starting combme as an point tor a right to save the jobs. Instead, led by

TGWU

General Chairman executive Stan Pemberton, they protest aimmicks. wheenanc dealing, and seeking alternative to make the plant profit- ways of dole vor vunos manacement.

the Tribune Group into the shows Lne forward the Party against not only the right wing but also the left' fakers who claim to represent a socialist alter- the exposing hollowness of the rhetoric Pemberton of Tribunites and Militant meeting Last weeks mas alike, such the bitter fruits of this saw as Pemberton unveiled pome unmistake- ably to the necessity for the Committee's" Ine construction of a principled "workers' plan" leadership the proposes the scrapping of 1,000 in movement which ODS ArOUSE voluntary TeauA dancies and the renegotiation of alone can take forward the all manning levels present for a programme to agreements mobility and independent mexion oT labour the working spell out the abject collaboration of this line, the "Action Committee" Oppose Concordat went or cance the Dav ot action play ed forehis he redund aney This must include oppos- before reaundancy ition to all forms of wage control, the Concordat and Dunlop look managers all anti-union laws; the fight their scheme without undue for a sliding scale of wages pressure". to defend living standards; So wretched was this plan opposition to public spend- that for the first time three ing cuts; the withdrawal of speakers Trom the Toor got up at the meeting to oppose the British troops from Ireland; platform and call for a defence programme to of all jobs working class But with the closure due this in the struggle to force the Thursday and management major showing no interest in even the OI without sky-high exploitation тате offered by the "workers' plan" this may well have workers management as the basis for a planned, socialist come too late to avert the final the plant's belly- betrayal by crawling convenors. Only a cynical turn-round bi management last-ditch move by workers to vote dow their convenors and occupy th want can orevent another ali joining the dole queues of Merseyside.

Workers' struggles frighten South American dictators Page 2 The of upsurge workers' in struggles America Latin in the last month has struck terror into the hearts of military dictators in four countries- Argentina, Brazil, Peru and Nicaragua. Argentina, the multary Junta wach seizec three years ago nas power failed totally in the task it set ITseN auaKe country safe once again for capitalism. Recent figures show that have workers' real wages now fallen to 50% of their value in 1976. The rate of inflation continues (at 175% a year) to erode these even further.

But

LUCSC

waro CuLs resulting from Eton-educat- economy HASLe Martinez de Hoz's rigid austenty programme, llave bonanza brought Argentine capitalists. Last year industrial pro- duction fell by 7% and the regime is increasing v river internal disputes about whether abandon dusiciicy. Anti-union law They remain united on plans to introduce another toucher anti-union law. The practical problems of this, nowever, ale grow- resort workers ing as increasingly militant actions to delend their living stan- dards and assert their trade union rights. Over the last month a of strikes has

IIC W

Wave oroken out. both in buenos Aires (centred on the engin- eering and textile industres spreading into

DUT

aSO other sectors) and Cordoba, 10,000 where Renault workers stopped work. Brazil the newly "elected" military president Figueredo faced an even more powerful strike the day he took office. This was the militant of 180,000 strike meldl- the

'ABC'

workers of industrial district Sao Paulo, Brazil's major industrial city. The had strikers who organised themselves inde- of official pendently the trade union were asking for 77% rise warc

JUW.

minimum of $200 a month, and recognition of. shop stewards. Pickets For the first time since the military coup of 1964, strike pickets were used on "a wide scale. The trade urion bureau- ста!

:RE: ES

could to sell out a strike: which created panic in their!

own ranks as well as in the which regime was seriously split on how to deal with its first confron- the with working In the end it decided on brutal repression. The was taken over by the government and numerous ledacis arrestea- in particular members of the

-INTERNATIONAL-

Socialist Convergence group employers, and the govern- were blamed ment takeover of the union wno as tne main "agitators" behind the lifted, within 45 days; the stoppage would begin again SinKe. time the The fact that employers Sallee bureaucrats did best the 45-day have haruce begun Laet to head off the fight. by sacking The national head of the of 'ringleaders' hundreds metalworkers, Argeu Egydio almost certainly means the dos santos made a settle. strike will resume ment for 63% with no other Peruvian strikes benefits-which W ds temptuously rejected by the Across the Andes in Peru ABC workers. who declared recurring strikes of this kind independent of themselves continued for alave noW the national union. almost a year. But the well- 'The latest strike of was 'left' been known union leader CoDel muels .. Ila Luis going on since March 13. Ignacio Silva (known as Lula) who in the crumbling military General Morales end, by regime oI duuressing a lass meeting of 15,000 workers, Bermudez has so far found answer to it, aside from played crucial role

JILO

getting at least a temporary TeDe sIon leaders return to work. prominent To get the vote to return of the mineworkers union tomise tula wi demando (FNTMMP)- Victor Cuadros that and Hernan Cuentas, both demands DL OmSt by the left-wing deputies the met 1101 Uganda: new regime no answer Eight years of brutal ended in byranly Uganda this week.as Amin Libyan supporters ano nis were driven out. The Ugandan exiles and Anzann redu ars mace the final push of their five-month long drive against Kampala They had taken the military police headquarters in Makindye the same day as Amin, in a final bravado, strolling act Wab about Kampala s centrał market shaking sappers and stal hotd ts.

hands terrified Then Amin abandoned the As the Smith regime in city with no one sure where he went next. Zimbabwe the dresare He may be in Jinja to the farce of elections under the east ot Kamoaa. or in vortnern "internal settlement", their Uganda; possibly Libya or even forces launched a vicious with his family who have been moved from Libya to lraa.

attack on guerrilla bases Une. uning is certain near the Zambian capital of ari on eitel ned tite way.

in Libya after Lusaka. Gaddafi duped A reported 350 people were ye orlealy troops into going to Uganda by killed. Several days later racist telling them they were going on destroyed the HQ and troops •ardoc. packeo tuem uto piane.

nome oi caru ieder Josnud and sent them to Entebbe!

Nkomo in a raid inside Lusaka Two of the planes-never even desperate . One crashed in Zaire These cot were. measures and another landed in an area of designed both to indicate are Uganda already in the hands of the continued resiliance of the internal settlement, and to head Tanzanian troops! The new government sworn o v țé vron wel comed last week was to disrupt the elections.

both British The voting itself. has been by held in two stages. ara amercan Im oerlds dj President The the pro wn tes coroureos ant British, pro-Commonwealth Asians voted last week; black Africans vote this week leader thev had hoped toi The Amin when he first deposed the internal Settlement provide foe "left' nationalist Obote.

the election of a 100 member Britain Israel (who dila Amin's trained army tilt assertiy threw them out) were the first Twenty places have been reserved for whites directly doverimeus to recocuse Ami The fulsome praise for Lüle erecteo ana.

TOUT

imperialism's errand-boy Prine ande res os oed i from Front candidates opposed David should COlIT little-known beyona any doubt that the over- macvenoent throw of Amin is far from end- cancioates/ atwas only ing the oppression and exploita- these four places that elections took place last Tuesday. ton ov te ocandan Massos.

Constituent Assembly-were arrested along with several other Constituent Assembly mem bers The left and thirty workers' party members are the now boycotting Assem bly At the same time recog- nition has been withdrawn the trom allu hundreds of militant

MILLILCIL

have been sacked Less and less able to rely on the increasingly exposed Stalinist leaders. the military regime now rests on nothing but the nationalist party

APRA

which domin- ates the Assembly. But it beginning 1S look as if relying on APRA

THCCS

APRA's senile leader Haya at la horre bs soragng dl his life in an American hos- pital If he dies, then there will be no obvious candidate of Call-up for election The elections for seventy two places last Saturday of this Tuesday unti week (April 1/-2) massive security involving the tion, call-up wolte: between of 18 and 50, is being mounted to defend the 2,000 polling booths. Arrests it ss reportea tnat a number arrests are lar ct taking place countr Nas Deer divided up into eight' constitu- encies, each of which has been given a stated number or sedts voting will be by propor- ano tional representation. Five parties-the United African National Council KOT BISnOO Muzorewa LANI lof Ndabaningi Sithole); ZUPO lof Chief Jeremiah Chirau); the United atona regera rare. fof Chief Ndiweni) and the small National Democratic Uton-dre contesting Ine elections. The remaining eight seats are also wote ane contested by. 16 Rhodesian The eight to take these seats will the 92 SPeCtAd by directly elected MPs The constitution agiteu SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 18 April, 1979 the right for the presidential of Esteli resigned as the election due to take place Sandinists were reported to after APRA has railroaded take over the city. its constitution through the Last year, despite wide- Assem bly about spread popular support. the months. Sandinists showed them- While would-be selves incapable of offering dictator be revolutionary political may dying the "lexas an existing dictator leadership necessary to trembles "on holiday" crush and replace the Nicar- Kansas. aguan dictatorship 'mass Anastasio Somoza, The renewec whose dynasty häs trodden makes the upsurge now down the ,masses of the building of such a leadership Central republic a priority task of the masses mcnicdl of Nicaragua fof 40 years exploited workers not facing the second only of Nicaragua but of the major threat to his regime in whole Latin American con- tinent-in no part of which a.y cal The civil of last does a imperialism have wal secure resting place. aulumn nas now re-eruwe the two north-western cities of Esteli and Leon.

New The rebel army is again Prolonged led by the People's War faction of the nationalist Sandinist National Liberation Front.

crack- The military commander down in lrag "Social- The Ba'ath ist" in Iraq has regime stepped up its anti-Com- munist repression. On April 5 it imposed a 30-day ban the news on paper (Y ice of the People) Communist the Iraqi Party after the paper carried a reply to a recent attack on the CP by "Progressive the National Front". This which nominally rules Iraq, com- prises the Ba'ath Party, the Kurdish Democratic Party and-the Iraqi Communist Party itself CP says that the Somoza's soldier rounds up civilians in Leon Front "still officially exists but is dead in practice" The Stalinists say they have not been to its meet- ings for two years. Despite the fact that the CP claims it has had 15,000 of its members arrested and 31 put to death in the provides for one cabinet seat for current wave of repression every tive MP's and thus Smith the party obligingly keeps can count on at least tive seats in the new government. two ministers (of Transport As have reported one without portfolio) in the čoalition government oreviousiv Tne • contro or Iní security forces and top civil with the Ba'athists. service jobs s will remain in white It has called for no mass device struggle against the reaction- the qualitications necessary to ary repressive regime these top jobs (which is scandalously sup- Whatever happens in these ported Gerry Healy's by elections the task wilt remain to throw out Smith and all his British "Trotskyist" black collaborators. Workers Revolutionary Party). sne ories nave indictater that they will recognise the In fact last week an Iragi government elected Communist Party Limogowe spokesman, pointing to the Teraton. between' the Iraqi Ba'athists Labour Party members and trade and the feudal kingdom of unionists must rememoe verbal opposi- Saudi Arabia, said it That _desolte was tion to the internal settlement, conceivable" for naraiy Labour the CP to leave the coalition gover mienl Tid. cone evervtnino in its dower te "just when their opposition bring Nkomo and Mugabe to the to the Israel-Egypt treaty is table organise a allowing the Iraqi leaders to sell-out deal with Smith emerge rank and file in the from their Patriotic Front whether isolation" Tragi Mugabe's ZANU or Nkomo's The Stalinists? ZAPU must watch out for such teacherous attitude to une moves by leaders and bloody repression of their demand the pressing forward of own mem bers, therefore, destroy the Ine strudcie flows from an abject hope internal settlement and establish Zimbabwe independent that the oppressors will socialist reform themselves.

SOCIALIST PRESS. Wednesdas 18 April, 1979

'INTERNATIONAL

ITALIAN CP

banner The which hung the XV over Congress of the Italian Communist Party- with 1,750,000 which members, is the largest CP outside the workers' states-was inscribed: "A great popular and democratic force to open a for new way Italy and for Europe". The absence of any the menon елет working class or of socialism the tone which the Stalinist leaders wished to give to the Congress. of the decisions Congress were very few -but they reflected the a SC leadership's drive to destroy even the formal socialist and proletarian aspects of the party's identity and turn it into an ettective instrument of. "historic com promise with the Italian bourgeoisie.

Abolished The Congress abonsned statute 5 of its constitution, which had obliged its and deepen "aca uire knowledge of Marxism and teachings to the solution problems" Now, tuted statute they are enioined to do no more than "increase their cultura and political knowledge, deepening their study of the history and heritage of ideas CP and the of the Italian revolutionary and wnole workers' movement"

STEPS UP ITS

COALITION CALL

essentially The still refers Berlinguer's pairy "tradition coyly to line the which has its "framework in Congress-the necessity for the and "government of national thougni or Marx unity" all the Engels and which was given comprising forces" a historic impulse by the "democratic from CP to the Christian innovatory. ideas and the the work of Lenin". Democrats. The tasks of his govern- But there is no longet even a formal pretence that according ment, Berlinguer, are: the Italian CP 1s a party of Marxists. "To save Italy, to save Catholics disorder and inefficiency, against violence and These concessions were privileges, for social justice, made explicitly it is necessary for the CP to lics. And it was only halt in enter the government" that party Genera. Hony present function of Secretary, Enrico Berlinguer the CP, he added: referred CP the unite all forces tc "Italy's second fatherland of to save this party that was one aspect of the OuTS accoral. his courtship of the unholy teaching ol said that the country is not Christian Tories the governed by one class alone Christian Democratic Party, nor by one party alone" the other was to declare the With this reactionary Christian Democrats Italv's demogogy as the line of the third workers party. leadership, it is appropriate To a handful of delegates longer expects who criticised the party's that it no membership be line of collaboration with the versed in Marxism. Democrals. Support for this political Berlinguer replied 10a1 line requires the forgetting "their membership does not of the basic only consist of conservatives or every one of Marxism, principles for but also the popular middle which the independent Classes, and, In some areas.

the presence of the working interests and organisation of the the working class стратет Democrat Christian Party the Communist The Italian Stalinist than Party. ledaersnip exoncity rejects any alempi. to orm an Convergence independent workers government-either alone. "conver- with the не called lor main gence and meeting between party, the much workers the Socialist, Communist smaller Socialist Party There was, however, and one masses This of flattery good deal of talk from the Christian Democracy was leaders about the need for a part of the central theme of "unity left", the specifically with the Socialist Party whose repre- sentative at the Congress was given a standing ovation. Far from being a step towards class meependent politics, this turned out to be yet another aspect of the overal! strategy of "historic compromise' Closer entente between the Communists and Socialists, Berlinguer sala must be the "driving force behind of government national the

WILL V

WIL I

• Christian Democrats. Aftermath The CP's position for the immediate aftermath of the early general election to be held in early June was that it must be given ministries in a coalition government or else it would go into opposition. The recent experiment whereby the CP became part of the parliamentary majority without being part of the government was from on . completely inacceptable "The ungovernable without the Communists" warned Berlinguer And Christian Democrat leader Giulio Andreotti clearly agrees. Last week he Page 3 CP capitulates to Catholics And then Berlinguer the returned Congress by agreeing with everything that had been said The real growing and tensions in the party remained largely hidden But no-one doubted thei existence. They showed for instance the party's that in the admission last year had lost 24,000 members atter many years of continuous growth. Militant One long-standing party militant certainly spoke fo tens of thousands when he said to a journalist: "In time when we asked a federal party leader wnat ne nad cone in une last year he would say-I've led many struggles organised demon- strations' Today he replies -I've beautiful written document with the local Christian Democrats'." closer alliance with of capitalism these torces and the reaction very reverse of what is needed by the Italian working class And increasing portion of the reak and file pro- of the CP are aware of that contradiction. Berlinguer and his fellow bureaucrats always are unwilling to lead

• LOLAS

struggle for the independent working interests of the which know Cias. Berlinguer could be successful Only arranged to lose by one r through revolutionary vote a confidence motion in struggle for power. parliament (by getting his Their own supporters to leave the revolutionary role requires chamber), once it was clear them to persist with their the intended to • Cr the working

VOLE

ettorts to against him. class to political representa- The Christian Democrats tives of the capitalist class recognise that the fate of whether this is b members of or supporters more than anything else on ot a bourgeois government the ability of the Stalinist even through what they call to hold back bureaucrats "opposition' the working class. But the CP leaders no Polls longer feel able to do this without being able to show A month after the British results in the of a form general election, Italy 'will share in power. polls on June 3 • to the With • this superficially and 4. Although the CP is less abject line towards the widely expected to lose Christian Democrats, the some of the record 34% Stalinist leaders were al of the poll it got in June least able to stage-manage a 1976, the results are most congress (or more unlikely to do anything to pre-election rally) which resolve the semi-permanent produced a show of unity of the crisis Italian within the party. bourgeoisie The elections however, Ambiguous can only bring step closer the explosion of the Alter a long and care. political tensions between fully ambiguous report by the • counter-revolutionary Berlinguer (accepted unani- Stalinist leadership and its mously), selected leaders working class base which were permitted to express a this pre-election Congress limited tried to hide behind clouds divergence to left or right- ot demogogy and always in the context ambiguity. agreement. with one or other of Berlinguer's clever Everyone ambiguities. wildly applauded.

Page 4

PRESS

GANG

candidates will be campaign It was good to see identical ing on almost Reg Prentice again, during the manifestos standing up at the Tory with Mr. Party press conference Callaghan and President Mr Mick McGahey to relive his, last days at marching together under Newham and telling the twin banners. world how the dreadful The rest of Fleet Street had called following extremists dutifully Prentice him a Tory of all things!

in declaring, the manifesto would be Meanwhile back in the a time bomb, whose revolu- paper mache world of Fleet explosive tionary Street the scare had rec after -the become evident such epidemic reached election. was the _nOT proportions doubtful 1S words on the page of course whether anything as subtle but and moderate the Then came Newham. would have Linoviev letter For the Express all their got much of a look in. birthdays had come at once.

It began with the publi- With flashbacks to the two of the Communist, cation red of the other Party manifesto. Any simil- scales arity between the CP mani- week, the paper proclaimed "Forced Out By the Reds".

festo and the Labour mani- John Warden, the author festo is purely deliberate, as of all the Express red scares the Stalinists seek ever more wrote: "The Red Face of ambiguous ways of refusing the Labour Party which Mr.

to fight for the same non-!

James Callaghan has tried to.

existent reforms. Express hide, came open The found into last night in a split damaging) comfort in this. Heading to his election chances. The Red Face of Labour, "It happened in Newham the paper North-East, the London seat listed 14 points of "policy" which could be found in the where Reds ousted programmes of both parties.

ex-Cabinet Minister Mr. Reg Prentice and drove him Its prose was a masterpiece be a Tory MP. of ambiguous inuendo. "This 'carbon copy of "Now they have so sickened the Left-wing policies is embarrassing 101 Mr. James Callaghan, For he they chose, Mr. successor James Dickens, that he ha nas projected fis own mall festo as a triumph of moder- prospective resigned candidate. "In fact it means that "For the first time the Labour and Communist extreme left has taken over Jackson scorns UPW pay claim conference policy decisions.

The and arrogance The meeting of district with which contempt and district assistant Tom Jackson treats his called in oreansen was union membership were plush Bournemouth hotel at fully displayed last a cost of £14,000. Jackson, top of the bill week when he called for the stage managed meet- together the

UPW

said he was district organisers to pleased and delighted to feed them the official have negotiated the deal and that it was good as or line on the Post Office as wage offer. other union this year any Jackson, who negotiated apart from Lae water- an 8% deal in exchange for workers! 'efficiency' clauses and the full Lay the replacement of time members on executive (who are elected) workers by part time, had thrown out of the window had voted 12-7 against the only large parts of the full non elected

DUE

UPW

timers had swayed the out- but also claim, Socialist Youth League

FIRST ANNUAL

CONFERENCE

Whittington Youth Centre, Rupert St., London N19 Saturday May 19 2pm to 11pm For more details write to SYL, 31, Dartmouth Park Hill, London NW5 IHR.

from the far left, to the dismay Labour moderates who warned Mr. Callaghan this week that it co Shaken officials were "Shaken asking themselves last night of what had become the Labour when a life- Party long activist of the Left like Mr. Dickens could take no more.. The Sunday Telegraph, like the Express, has now come to rems wu a care. fully graded series of lefts, like contagious diseases, some of which are curable and others of which are not.

"If this is what happens before the revolution, what would it be like afterwards?" asked the column. paper's leader *Perhaps constituency The should be renamed Tehran North-East": "Times have indeed changed. In the days Attlee, - Gaitskell and ever Wilson, it was the Tribune group which seemed too left leadership's wing for the comfort. When those three victories ford caucas moderation they were over the Tribune group. Today Mr Callaghan seems to think that those particular Left- are on the side of moderation-and SO, no are, compared they with the Trots". Telegraph defends Tribune. There must be a moral there somewhere. come by giving it the unan- imous backing of their 12 votes. made Jackson apology for breaking confer- policy part, time staff and works studies and said that as far as he was concerned unal Issue would be decided by the member- ship in the vote now taking place. Large sections of posta workers have already shown hostility to the : sell- inCi unofficial by staging action. Opposition within the telecommunications of the union has sections been much more muted. Jackson said 'if that postal workers voted against deal they would threaten the 'unity' of the Stalinist He supported by was Stalinist Maurice Styles, called who was on criticisms the proposed agreement on part time staff. Styles that no said section should take action if part time staff were intro- duced by management against their will. Full time officials would sort out the

IRELAND

TROOPS OUT

NOW!

"Anti-terror" Act harassment exposed The arrest of Ron McKay's charge (if it is eventually brought) is that McKay, reporter for he failed to fill in, on a land- Time Out, in Glasgow ing card in Ireland, the full on March 31 on his address of the person he was return to Britain from slaylig will "offence"? Northern Ireland, is just His real of of the course was was one many unal interviewing IRA leaders-a hundreds of arrests that policy which according to take place under the the late Airey Neave should Prevention of Terrorism be banned by law. •Act each year. Oppressive But McKay himself has pointed but, the fact The Prevention of that he is a reporter has forced the event into the Terrorism Act competes on the equal terms with hennented piece that the Act be of legislation way can used on almost any pretext.

any country in the world.

PHOIO: Chis Davies Report Jackson problem. through acceptance by tele- Jackson claimed that all communications sections, the productivity promises then postal workers must be were really, only a sham, to take action prepared cover increased against it, unofficial if up but that" he prevented was all from saying so in public!

But

UPW

members should the not a fore- recognise tha "he vote is deal declining living means conclusion Despite of standards, fewer jobs and the best efforts the harsher working conditions.

officials to sell it to their It should be rejected. members, the East London Strike should be district has already voted to prepared and plans laid for reject it by more than 2,000 the removal of Jackson's votes to tive right wing leading clique of If the nationally vote full timers and time servers.

does go in favour of the deal SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 18 April, 1979 Home Secretary Rees Under its provisions the police have unlimited powers of detention with no obligation of subsequent justification. held Being lor a lew hours or days without access to a lawyer is not of comparable with much of the treatment handed out to republicans in Ireland But it is a demonstration that the repression cannot be confined (as the powers of the state would prefer) to the north of Ireland. It spills inevitabiv over the south and into Britain.

While for demand the abolition of the Prevention of Terrorism Act suported by wide variety of radicals in Britain, they should recognise that it the inevitable conse- quence Labour's policy in Ireland-which differs in way from that of the 110 Tories. The Diplock Courts, the ending of political status for republican and prisoners, the repression and torture practiced by the army and RUG are all the inevit- Lne able consequences of British rule of the north of Ireland.

New torture protest A SECOND civilian member of the

RUC

Police •Authoriti resigned, in protest at thi refusal of Labour's Torturo Minister Roy tako Mason to abuse duty action revealed in the Bennett Report.

Announcing his resignation Belfast

SONIC LOT

revealed Mason hac that cancelled meeting with the Authority Polici ing that his successor State Northern

TOI

_irelana could look into the issue of systematic

RUC

torture republican suspects. Murphy had represented th the toothless Law / Society on "watchdog" body. Another member Dungannon councillor resigned JaCK recently in protest at the cover.

up of RUC ; brutality. But wale . these conscience stricken patty bourgeois make their gestures of the lost, Toot CAuSe violence-British imperialis oppression-can only be ended to forc mass the troops out of Ireland.

SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 18 April, 19:9

TORY-BASHING

'LEFTS' KEEP

HEAT OFF

CALLAGHAN

Tony Audrey Benn, He listed the firms who Tory Wise, Brian Mathers and Party contribute to Moss Evans spoke at a tunds. One of the firms on his Labour Party election list was United Biscuits-the in Coventry last rally for the bosses responsible so-called Monday. legal action 'secondary picketing' during Although they sat on the local MPs George the lorry drivers' strike.

Of someone Park and William Wilson did Louise who has fallen in with every not speak. move by the Labour leader- was felt Perhaps picketing, ship restrict advisable to keep Wilson-a Evans unable to locus of was CO-enatoly on this aspect of basic trade infamous Commons Select unionism so central to the Committee report on Race Tories have to the Relations-off the speakers curb the unions. list. Chairing the meeting Ignored Mathers-Midlands Regional

TGWU -

Secretary And in the week follow- anti-Tory the usual made ing the NGA court decision looked comments and North Sea Oil on blacking this forward "to was completely directing us down the road attack ignored. to a new technological age".

Indeed as with wages the issues were constantly Differences Ted avoided by Evans and the rest of the speakers. Despite four, years ot the One revealing aside was only wage control made by Evans when mid- references made to this by way through his anti-Tory Evans were oblique. "We've had our differ- rhetoric. Tory differ- Ridiculing but they're ences between friends". about lack Col Dials toilet paper during the lorry This assertion obviously his and other drivers' strike, he said: reterred to taking the bureaucrats' cringing sub- remember News of the World into the servience to the Callaghan/ Healey wage-cutters and not backyard-of different now". He can say to the internal workings ol the TGWU-where officials that again! Audrey Wise revelled in pursued have

VICIOUS

her left reputation, her selt- vendettas against opponents "shop of wage control in both the styled role 5/35 steward" of her constituents and her 24 public report- branches. back meetings since the last evans went to town on general election. the Tories, attacking their plans to reduce the top rate sav won't win because I'm of tax from 83% to 60% and too left- wing. if that means i'm on increase side of working people the taxation. Chrysler workers made redundant at the Stoke Plant in Coventry in 1975 then I plead guilty" She did mention

TO L

that no discussion on her record or political positions allowed the pre- was election GMC meeting. She posed as a left but friendly critic of the govern- ment: "I see it as my iob to improve the Labour govern- ment-to make it responsive to working people". The bulk of her speech anti-Toryism was Tonne and a defence of the govern- ment's measures to prop up capitalist concerns failing while the redundancies are carried out over a longer penou. "Ordinary working a government need peo pic responsive to their wishes" said-totally sne the battles wage control, against it and her previously stated opposition to it: also told Workers were "the that read they tall truth" in Labour Weekly! Benn's speech lived up to the occasion-so much so that he received generous if applause slightly from the syndicalist Socialist Workers Party. The SWP is vying for the role of best anti-Tories under the lame siogans "Labour isn't working-the will. Rely on Tories never the rank and file". Don't apologise for being left wing said Benn. "Wealth and the power of trade unions is what this election is all about" Benn avoid How did of the dealing

WILI

background to this election: the four years

CULS.

and unemployment wage control? PHOTO: Laurence Sparham. IFT.

Benn Simple! He talked about election-the 1945 another Labour Party landslide. "In 1945 we had a full blooded programme, we did what we said we'd do and we never lost a by-election.

"It was a programme we could be united on-that's the sort of thing we have to aim at now". boldly castigated Bent the owners of wealth: "The Duke of Westmin- ster left £2,000 million and in same newspaper tne greedy about the read ambulancemen". But he offered not one word of explanation of how the Labour had sat in which denied cabinet increases to the ambulance- men! Wealth tax The concentration on landed wealth (the Duke of Argyle was also attacked) is of course no accident. It prepares the way for the ludicrous diversion Manifesto-the Labour's wealth tax. While millions are poured into the pockets of share- holders in manufacturing industry, the 'leftism' of the Labour Party leadership is protected by vague talk of eventually the taxing personally rich. But it is on their policy of state aid to ailing capital- that the enterprises Labour traitors place their of gaining biggest hopes anti-Tory votes. Despite the of thousands have JObS lost in firms such as been Rolls Herbert, Alfred Royce, Chrysler and British Leyland, the Labour leader- silly have cod certal estent successfully argued that, left to the Tories, there would be no jobs at all in these firms. Cosmetic Revolutionaries must show that these cosmetic, 'solutions' only stop-sap pave the way for more decisive attacks on lobs as tne economic casis sharpens and divert away WorKers from the only genuine solu- tion to unemployment, cuts socialist and planned economy. The other central theme Mathers Wise

LABOUR

PARTY

Despite all the rhetoric to Benn's speech was demo- cracy - "bankers never have workers were not given any public conferences like the inkling of how the trade TUC does". unions should mobilise to force a change. There was also a side. While the Labour Party swipe at Benn's erstwhile audience cheered enthusias- cabinet colleague Roy tically the Communist Party and the undemo- cratic EEC. beamed. speech Wise's During No mention Stalinist prominent local Eddie McClusky could be Of course; the lack of observed creeping any real democracy a little obsequiously onto the plat- closer home-like at the form with glasses and a jug Labour Party conterence- OT water unle Dulcau did not get a mention. crats and left reformists.

And Benn's answer to all this lack of democracy and Servility power vented in the hands described by the Later of the wealthy was charac- YCL secretary as 'an local teristic. his view the answer contribution to important In left unity' this grovelling act does not lie in him taking symbolised graphically the any fight for socialist prostration and servility of policies as a member of the the Stalinists before the mis- government. leaders of the working class.

Instead it is up to every- all, the meeting. one else, to the mobilisation which no questions or dis- of the trade unions for a cussion was allowed, was a change in parliament. example of the way good reformism of Benn 'left' helps And, course, keep the heat off the right wants a big Labour majonty on May 3. wing.

TROTSKYISM-

TODAY

INSIDE: • Mandel's dance with Stalinism The significance of the Transitional The U.S. SWP 40 years on Programme NOW OUT! Trotskyism Today No. 4. Price 45p plus 20p p&p. Still available, Trotskyism Today No. 2, price 50p plus 20p p&p. (No. 3 sold out).

Available from WSL, 31; Dartmouth Park Hill, London NW5 1HR.

Tory manifesto Labour's years builds on The publication last week of Tory the Party's election manifesto brought predictable squeals of rage from trade union bureaucrats and Labour leaders. They railed its proposals for anti- union laws, lis proposals to hold down wages public its planned Door. spending cuts, and its hopes denationalise the ship. building and the aircraft industry. anti-working class policies are of 110 surprise from the Tories. As the big party business they have never bothered to hide their bitter hatred for the workers' movement. Indeed, though the Heath wing of the Tory Party is now conventionally portrayed in the mass media as "moderate" by. compari- their son to the own Thatcher gang, of Heath's 1970-74 government.

method sabotage prevented from War fully suppression implementing 12s with the unions. savage Industrial Relations The Tories on the by Ilassive spontaneous strike move- ment against the jailing of Pentonville dockers in Tne 1972.

TUC

to members, Similarities the statute books. But This what every

TUC

way leader was careful to avoid his union 1n Tory under conditions manitesto any reference the obvious to between the wim worles Tory proposals and the Labour policies imposed with full TUC collaboratior over the last five And, years. Indeed helpful way number of areas Tory policy leaders under Heath headed off working class resistance can be seen as simply build- ing foundation laid to the hated Industrial Rela- by Wilson and tions Act Callaghan. of alley protest The anti-union laws, for they feel instance, centre on precisely can Enty those issues-picketing, the legislation closed shop, and public organised resistance. sector strikes-which

WELC

conceded as "problems" by to wield an even sharper and the TUC and explicitly dealt longer-handled with in the reactionary Con- public spending is based on cordat signed with a Similar cynical calculation Callaghan in February. as to the likelihood of any The difference between concerted this the Tories' and the trade unions. approach is that the

TUC

leaders-themselves scared Sitting back stiff by the scale and scope of the offensive Having movement of trade "left" demagogue unionists defiance Fisher, along Phase 4 of other public seek, bureaucrats, members by Healey's spending of betrayal

FIGHT

THE CUTS

SAVE

JOBS FIGHT

THE C

SA ,10 Thatcher government would intensify Healey's cuts time-honoured close hospitals, schools and administrative nurseries, cut manning levels and cripple whole depart of democracy ments, the Tories certain that they would be other allowed away with hand, expressing the historic more of the same. scepticism of the ruling class The rigid cash limits on capacity of the the social services intro- control union duced by Labour Chancellor reassuence of legistation the Healey will therefore be continued, and used as a for rigorously con- exploit the services of the they trolling wages in the public sector. And huge new Tory bureaucracy cuts in public spending will jobs and lal more services favourable to the employ- affecting millions of workedsy shimision from submission Cowar Headed off union officials. general the Tories remembering the themselves declare

TOT

in which lUC "responsible pay bargain- ing' phrase which, echoing the diplomacy of a Jack Jones or a Len Murray, into the blind avoids either explicit al l policy of limits (as maches wage that implicitly advocated in bring such Labour's manifesto) —or free little with collective bargaining. Thatcher will remember Clearly the Tory pledges that, under Heath, the

TUC

"reluctantly acquiesced" to axe two and a half years controls, until savage wage the miners' strike broke the silence and signalled Heath's resistance from downfall. She therefore wants to her options open or Ine issue of tuture wage controis, seeking if possible seen NUPE's to weaken the strengthen unions and Aral every individual employers wILl enable them to hold the line sector unior and allow against wage demands. cuts to The series of secret meet- By Terry Smith Union their cosy collaboration they supposedly conditions of system, the as al t preserving capitalist firms. ings between TUC leaders This is a and Tory chiefs has no doubt the hearts of for conurmed Their Thatcher that „too whichever revolves adopts, these _courst sne servile bureaucrats will lead taxation designed to no concerted action against her profitability industry, There "non-viable" numerous reasons for this servility. Of nationalised industry. the union leaders Their course fear that a new upsurge of out that: militant struggles will leave them exposed as obstacles tion of to workers' struggles. PHOTO: Mart Bucher Tar. Police powers, stepped up by Labour, will be increased by the Tories SOCIALIST PRESS, W'ednesday 18 4 pri, 1979

LABOUF

ISN'T

WORKINI

Thatcher bureaucrats also still dangerously low." are dread struggles that disrupt The manifesto goes on to relationships and reveal how the boosting of with the profits is connected to the employers and force them axing of jobs, arguing that into acting as spokesmen for the Labour the demands of the workers which itself jacked represent. from unem brovmenl But another key factor is 550,000 to nearly 1½ that, as reformists who seek million in five years-places improve the 'too emphasis much OI and wages of to preserve exist- attempts workers within the context ing jobs" As evidence for a continuing capitalist this they point to the cash union leaders handouts made by the NEB committed as the to ailing firms. Callaghan-Healey cabinet to But not even the dullest the viability of witted or most doctrinaire of Tories could claim that cause dear to the

TUC

leaders have the Tories, emphasised defence of whole strategy existing jobs around On the

CUL

contrary union and spending officials have usually been bolster the the first WILl of private employers that manning while dismantling levels need to be cut back oi sections of plant rationalised-even at the expense of thousands of manifesto points jobs the isolated and once "Profits are the founda- unsuccessful occupation of free' enterprise Imperial Typewriters ine economy. In Britain profits Plant in Hull in 1975 there

'SPECIAL

POWERS"

FOR THE

SPG

SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 18 April, 1979 Would-be Tory Chancellor Howe has been no officially-led point occupation or serious fight wise.. factory gives participation the back closure or redundancy. the hand The few occupations that Tamer methods have occupied azallls! hospital closures-such power shop the #GA and Hounslow in London have mail and confrontation all begun Having rank and ile initiatives on v belatedly followed by union their own satisfaction 'officials. not only union officials, but Such weakness and widelayers of convenors too, betrayal union leaders have been oy has alongside bureaucratised to the point of collabora- open torms becoming the incapable of leading a fight worker rail- senemes in aerence or lobs or conal roaded in despite shop floor tions, the hostility in British Leyland.

play on this crisis of leader- Under the BL 'participa- ship. tion' set-up convenors allu leading stewards Independent interests together will into joint bodies with planned attacks is the fight management whose task was industry every speed-up, Im Dose construction redundancies and corporate- level bargaining throughout tionary the combine. 'viability" of the employers It led quickly to Jack the but from Jones and Hugh Scanlon interests featuring on the front page class. of the company's Leyland But Mirror witch-hunting strikes and industrial matters that instructing their Tories find members to accept manage- spade-work already done by and allacks Labour and TUC collabora- conditions and "Keep work- tors. led last year to the On the reactionary meeting of top and order" and has long been a vaild which voted, with only five of Labour leaders that they against, accept votes have vastly increased spend- Michael Edwardes' plan for ing on the police and raised 12,000 jobs in cut OI police pay to giddy heights.

Leylands Cars. Successive Labour Home Secretaries have Closure the setting up of the Special And this in turn fore- Patrol Group-a shadowed the closure of the picked body Triumph plant at Speke and thugs designed Merseyside adding another through picket 3,000 attack already swollen Liverpool tions. They dole queues. have The essence of 'participa- police to an unprecedented tion' of course is that for all degree. They pretence of blamket bans on demonstra- democracy and shop floor involvement, tions and even decisions They by have al c Lake the drawing up and enact- Convenors mallacement. ment of the Criminal Law mere errand boys become for Leyland bosses. Act that oulaws occupations squatting. The Tories have little and time for this charade. Since through and the so called "Prevention of managelell ale golnglo Terrorism" Act. decide anyway, they see no in pretending other- Everyone of these reac- tionary steps could now put Hence this manifesto deadly weapon in the relies hands of Tory and blatant determined ruthlessly MOre of weakening the and contront defeat the working class. tne floor-through black- Democratic rights established to that And the Tories will also trade heavily on Labour on democratic completely rights-the use of the Official Secrets Act completely intimidate Joumnausts as in last year's

ABC

trial, the deportation of ex-CIA agent Tories intend to Phillip Agee without trial or charge: and the mounting wave of precedents attack ing union rights that have been amassed in the courts the last 15 months. over The only answer to their The 'ories pledge themselves to build further for the sickening La DOUT. of revolu- record of racial discrimina- leadership that tion by extending the from the existing Immigration

AUL:

to further restrict the right independent of black workers' families to working the enter Britain. Coupled with their other not only the of their much question of "law

WHO IS

for instance, it

LEONARD

boast

HOOPER A

WHAT IS

HIS JORI

PHOTO: Andrew Wiard. Report supervised hand- loutish smash lines and workers' demonstra- armed the Have Issued meetings. masterminded They forced Implemented Social service slasher Joseph policies of wage cutting and sweated night and unemployment this preserve the mass would ensure that the capitalism Tories added to Labour's • Africa-and the decision record of racist whetter division within the working Anglo-American class violence plan" for against immigrant workers simply go and the the Smith's racist labour move settlement" ment. This would of course be tactical of full-scale the military and Labour leaders. repression of the Irish struggle for self-determina- tion, and of course a further lurch to the right in foreign Owen policy But though the Thatcher gang's anti-communist rhetoric and defence fall. lacisi legimes ana impella.

against list oppression would be starting more and Tory Foreign Secretary aramati uninhibited than that of the In short, cabinet, there itself and on a would be for no reason the record of them to change the funda- mental drift of policy. Errand boy full-blown Tory Should Labour's im peralist errand-boy David Owen has

OAKLEY

GOVERNMENT COMMUNICATIONS HEAD OLIARTERS

MILITARY

ABC

INTELLIGENCE

TODAY

IS A

LE CONTRADICTON

U

TOMORROW

IN

TERMS

International Telecommunication Convention Malaga-Torremolinos, 23 October 1913 (ratifted by United Kingdoo 1070)

ARTICLE 22

Secrecy of Telecommunications T, Members grades take all posible mosures, comparible arith the sion of recommunan sad, wil a visa-so ensuring the secrees pearheaded attacks on democratic rights-reviving Official Secrets Act in ABC case Page Failed hardliner Heath day to fidence by in wOrker stability of Callaghan's reactionary Southerr he orders to me te of workers keep by the bosses' out of office Stand party "peace off thus and the slave Zimbabwe attacks lined up in the Tory salon interith with malesto 1s a question oi But the return principled Callaghan and Healey will in disagreement between Tory itself solve nothing for the working class. Their policies offer only more of the same Praise for Shah cuts and class collaboration.

The task facing workers stood second to combined one: noone in his fulsome praise return Labour to office; and and support tor the butche to prepare the revolutionary Shah of Iran right up until leadership that can mobilise warnings the working class in defence otte Communism provide of its independent interests, point for any and fight for the complete exposure ana lemoval or the both in Britain Callaghan-Healey cabinet.

world scale Only the Workers the Labour Socialist League, basing government and their TUC itself firmly on its record of colleagues is one of opening principled practical struggle the door for the return of a against both right and "left" of the Labour ans the Tories be trade bureaucracy, union defeated in the election it offers workers such will mark not a vote of con- perspective.

ABO

GOVERNMEN

WHO IS

GULTY

THERE'S

No B IN

COLONEL HA

JOHNSTONE

BEHIND NEWSLINE'S

FRENZY, REDGRAVE

FETED BY FEUDAL

FOR!

ABOUR

TYRANTS

By John Lister It is not very often that a Workers Socialist League leaflet becomes the subject of a double page article in a daily newspaper. Workers So when the Party Revolutionary takes two pages in its daily News- line launch violeti a WSL leaflet attack on handed out on march organised by the General Union of Arab Students, we at the reasons for it, and the argu- ments put forward Of welcome this belated attempt by the WRP leadership to publicly defend their Party's oppor- positions LICi struggles in the Middle East against long-standing TO f criticisms we have raised.

Less detailed they all posed as opponents of Zionism and defenders of But it is revealing that Palestine struggles in the Middle East, sooner than answer the and differentiate extended and documented sharply articles polemical that we verween ine interests or the Arab and Palestinian masses carried Socialist Press in booklet form (WRP and the policies of the petty Leaders Junk the Old Trot- bourgeois bourgeois and skyism), the Newsline nationalists uncritically

WRP.

board supported by the culond chooses instead to take up the far This is so unthinkable to

WRP

Gerry leader Healy points contained in one leaflet.

and his Newsline scribes Clearly that they are almost beside they hope that themselves with rage, wildly this provides them with an easier task. But so indefen- alleging that: sible is their policy of giving "The leaflet began Dy to support pouring scorn on the entire of bour- motley assortment history of Arab liberation geois and petty bourgeois struggles, maligning every nationalist leaderships in the leadership, Incume Middle East, that they fail past Nasserite leadership of to achieve even this limited objective. a leadership which has 'sold Sensing their failure they struggle the desperate v lying dictates of imperialism and allegations about the WSL's their own political needs'.

record in British Leyland at What did our leaflet say?

Cowley and on the Labour Not which Nasser, it simply pointed a not intend to bother with tinger at the obvious truth: here. 'Again and again the Arab leaders who claim to Quaint support the Palestinian been in Struggle have From their characteristic- forefront of deals which ally quaint style of polemic sold out that struggle to the mixture of arbitrary dictates of imperialism and insults combined

WILL

their own political needs.

distortions of both fact and "Sadat's sordid peace Marxist: theory-two points treaty with the Zionist state clearly emerge. is only the latest in a long One that the WRP line of many such leaders are incensed that the betrayals". Workers Socialist League should put out a leaflet to Fear of struggles Arab and Palestinian students (whom they regard showed that the as their own property). impetus behind this back But, more important, stabbing ucalv was they are furious that imperialism's tear that the leaflet should put forward a aftermath the of Iranian class analysis the revolution would unleash Sadat (left) with Arafat and Boumedienne in the days when struggles throughout mass the Middle East. And it showed how this same tear of mass tionary struggles also haunts feudal bourgeois within the heads "It has driven the Ba'athists of Damascus and Baghdad back towards each other in search of comfort.

It has forced the Iraqi and Saudi regimes to renew their military understanding. The first fruits that strengthened agreement seen in already been their defence of the reac tionary Yemen Arab Repub- lic". Home truths For the WRP, who were busily distributing leaflet on the demonstration, these home truths were too much to take stung into reply, they spell out in Newsline explicitly revisionist anel view of the struggles in the Middle East. "Marxists, however. begin with the not individuals aspects OT reality, but with a compre- analysis the

COT

whole-i.e. the nature of the imperialist epoch whose central feature, Lenin explained, is the division of the world into and oppressor nations" All of a sudden the WRP while still 'Trotskyist' movement has ceased to pay any regard to struggle that Ine class continues within both. • the PLO forces in the Black September massacre oppressed and oppressor Instead the question of a policy for the Arab masses *whose side are you on; the crudely simplified oppressed oppressor?" Lamely If you are on the side of the "nation" oppressed then this in the WRP's eyes now means vou trai lamell and uncritically along behind every twist and turn of policy of Yasser Arafat Gaddafi, the Iraqi Ba'athists and the Ayatollah Khomeini and their chosen allies of the moment, (up to and the Ugandan including butcher Amin). But of course this policy 1s not without contradic tions. For instance, the "oppressed" Iraqi Ba'athists oppressors of are also ine Kurdish the national minority imprisoned within the Iraqi state. Khomeini the

WRP

defend against our description of him religious bigot) also engaged in oppressing the Kurdish, Azerbaijani, Turkomeni and Arab minor- aules mran Annexed "oppressed" Gaddafi's Libyan dictatorship has only recently annexed substantial chunk northern Chad. is not good enough therefore

SUCI

labels general Middle inevitably for support bourgeois policies. Thus the Newsline waxes indignant that the WSL leaflet should have the : Arab League's economic boycott of Egypt, branding it as a off the sop head militancy the Arab masses. Financial Times In arguing in support of the boycott policy, the Newsline scribes rely exten- sively on quotations from the Financial Times and the Economist to boycott will effective Of they ignore Course evidence to the contrary put forward .ine analvsis in the Daily Telegraph, which points to the fact that there was no decision to withdraw the Arab League countries' huge investments from Egypt, and that Egyptian these lade with counter accounts for only 6% of its exports. even if the boycott were effective, the centra point made in leaflet would remain valid: that the bourgeois Arab leaders remain implacably opposed Arafat with 'moderate Arab leader Hussein-he wiped out the mobilisation of the LU Arab and Palestinian masses which is the only means of East regimes. successfully carrying It is necessary to analyse the the class Palestinian contradictions revolution and the struggle within these states as well as for a Socialist United States their relationship of the Middle East. imperialism if the masses are why our leaflet 1s to be ottered a stated clearly: ary way forward "The But the WRP dodges any Palestinian libera. tion struggle will such analysis. Its position is

GEOI

won by any number of boy- an almost exact echo of the cotts or other actions from revisionist conceptions of the Arab nationalist leaders Michel Pablo who in 1951 "The and put forward the workers peasants of Iran have clearly • view that world the was shown the way-only mass divided simply the 17TC "Soviet bloc" voland, mobilisations of the the oppressed classes can lift the "capitalist yoke of imperialism in the premise for his adaptation Middle East to the Stalinist bureau- Does this mean that, as cracles the Newsline article falsely Liquidated we draw no dis- suggests, tinction between the role of By leaving out both the imperialism and that of its sattelite bourgeois leaders in maependent struggles of Ine working class the colonial countries? capitalist countries and the Clearly not. struggle for political revolu- But stand by the we tion in the deformed position cogently argued in degenerated workers states 1963 by the WRP's fore- and baldly posing the ques- runner, ine bocialst Labout tion of "which side are we League. Challenging the on?" Pablo's position effec- • opportunism of the liquidated the Pabloites on Algeria, the programme of Trotskyism. SLL pointed out: "In Algeria, the revision- Now Gerry Healy and

WRP

the leaders, who ists, as we have seen, in fact correctly fought and broke support to the petty. from Pablo in 1953 bourgeois, and nationalist fought the drift of the government American

SWP

"There back was even Pabloism in 1963, explicitly published an article by one their backs on their Sadi both in the SWP Inter-

LUTT

history and embrace national Socialist own Review Pablo's method and politics Pabloite Fourth in their International adaptation to the advocating Ba'athists, Gaddafi and "entry" into Nasser's Arafat. national and movement specifically disavowing any Their uncritical support for bourgeois leaders leads organised independent

GRANDAD JIM AND

AUNTIE MARJE PLAY

"HAPPY FAMILIES"

SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 18 April, 1979.

opposition. correspondent" "A class characterisation his LOaT of nationalisation is incom- Revolution' plete and turns into its country: opposite does not "along sharply define the the proletariat in opposing the petty bourgeois nation- co-operatives alists". nanionalisation (Fourth International, banks and Spring 1964). (emphasis added). Describing and attacking the Pabloite attitude to line petty bourgeois led nationalist revolutions, the turns on article went show and Healy's that, in the Pabloites' view: "When these revolutions the Kurdish Marxists occur, have 110 aternative but to partici- pate in them 'wholehearted- ly', i.e., they not appear as opponells or tne petty bourgeois leaderships East politics 'In Algeria they must work for Ben Bella, and join with him in denouncing and imprisoning any opposition on Right sance or Left Hovchers. liberation struggle. I..:] It is precisely in the revolutionary situations of tute Algeria and Cuba that the for the principles of building of the independent party has been most blatant- 1st movement state visit abandoned, the on assumption that the petty Healy to bourgeois leaders will of become revolutionary -following Marxists ... footsteps Ten years Elizabeth Philip This correct criticism and orientation was maintained Newsline report on the stage by the SLL for more than of development ten vears in 1914, party in Abu Dhabi in solid- major article on Algeria and arity with Healy's so-called the dictatorship of the then "International President Boumedienne, as a result of this lavish visit.

Tom Kemp (now editor of the WRP's Indeed 'theoretical" we evidence Labour Review) WRP still believes it correct wrote in Workers Press. "As Algeria celebrates its

LO T

• Iraq, tenth year of independence Palestine, clear and that President Houari oppressed Boumedienne Middle East. presides over thing

VILC

above all-the plunder of the WRP leaders, once again country's the natural resources by international explain capital. they "Development which cantal leaves the masses in misery tionary Marxists, means jobs and opportun- they see the existing petty ities for the new rich petty bourgeois bourgeoisie which regimes leading the masses upon Boumedienne's rule to the overthrow of capital- based". (July 12, 1972). ism and the Kemp, in a passage that of a Socialist now reads as supreme irony, of the Middle East. explains that this because:

STILL AVAILABLE

"the workers and Pinda nts were never able to party which WRP leaders gave expression to their historic junk the old needs as part of the inter- national struggle of the Trotskyism working class ... And he stresses that: 'In Algeria today there democratic liberties «c O or working class rights. The party the

FLN,

which bureau- cratic machine than political party ..." Yet, six years later, all this thrown aside by Newsline, in Price 45p plus 15p p&p December published from WSL, eulogy to the Burting dead Boumedienne, "own 31, Dartmouth Park Hill, which WRP's London NW5 1HR. Zionist chief Begin declared 'Council of the Marje Proops and Jim directed ine Callaghan make such socialist sickening bedfellows programmes of the distribu- that it was difficult to tion of the land to peasant believe that even the and the Labour Party would the oil, minerals" really bring out any- thing as nauseating as an This conscious switch of election document Algeria follows on written by the two of calculated about- Libya them. and , iraq, scandalous But the actual document abandonment of suport for is worse than nauseating; it liberation drips through through allu every idea that

WILD

anti-socialist. Callaghan uses the family to boost his position: and position boost uses It goes hand in hand with „LU the family. a curious analysis of Middle the one hand this that Views shows the depths that every tyrant and despot not Callaghan has stooped to in from a class standpoint, but his desperate attempts to from the angle of his verbal scrape up electoral support the Palestinian from somewhere. This, the WRP's. substi- Pillar of support and metnod the Trotsky- On the explains the most sharply to how

WRP

leaders why it 1s that the tamily a Vanessa Redgrave and Gerry an institution is such a pillar the feudal support for bourgeois Abu Dhabi rule illustrious the Marje Proops begins of Queen tones of Prince Sky sacchanne and urging us to count our bless "unit, lauding the Ings: We await with interest a closely knit by very special ties of blood and tradition.

of a Marxist Blood and tradition are terms which mark of every fascist vision; Committee" blood and tradition are totally dangerous concepts entirely await any opposed to the whatever that the progress and soli- clange. darity upon which commu- build Trotskyist parties nsun is oult. Libya, "Blood Iran, almost expect the other we might almost expect fuhrer nations of the stalk across the page. Failing this we challenge But no, we are only pre- with the grotesque senita publicly image of good old Grandpa why Callaghan, whose "nine year have abandoned this grandchildren ask him task facing revolu- old and Audrey"-What was it and how like in the old days? For nationalist Proops the "Old days" weren't good. (Were they perhaps less full of the glorious bonds of establishment family life?) United States Class distinctions In the bad old days, she tells class distinctions existed-some wore and ties and

COATS

some didn't! she thinks, Thankfully, all this is gone! The sheer stupidity of believing that class distinc- tions are about what you wear round your neck rather than about who owns and controls the wealth and factories is quite incredible.

But Proops' witless remarks on the class struc ture of society aren't what she's wheeled in for. Mrs Family Life's blatherings about "purpose Justice and decency' are but prelude Callaghan's By Sheilagh Priestman

LABOUR

WHAT

PARTY

SPECIAL

THE FAMILY

MEANS E

6it you stay remember what you've got that's

TO ME.

good and lasting shu worthwhil you'll make ils mart don denton?

* BAD OLD DAYS

DUR FUTURE

•BY MARJE PROOPS

own trumpeting of every enemy of the criminal and right wing attitude. the vandal" He argues for "a national Callaghan, family policy". Again, we Labour's policy is to boost are reminded of Hitler's the powers of the police and determination to bolster the the state. family. He specifically For every capitalist poli- 1977 Criminal tician worth his salt is aware which naut that the family is a sensitive factory and other area, one of the few places where capitalism nal offence. individuals feel that they These can escape from the aliena- workers and ting meaninglessness of their dressed up working existence into camouflage area which should be one of "a contented human warmth, comfort depends and affection. family." rather desperately of Labour's face record of " cuts services, standards, tries to produce some examples of contented families. how have numbers in the poverty trap -the numbers paying tax on low piece tries Healey The actuality under capi- talism, however, is a set of relationships which oppress women and the young and tie all its members often in unhappy bondage to one another. environment is This breeding ground for indi- vidualism. Workers' class connec tions with one another are - divided by their particular individual family ties The family is conscious- ly used by Callaghan and the bourgeoisie divide LO and weaken the working class and as a weapon to buttress right wing atti- tudes. "We are the implacable Page 9 Labour has fought against this. handout's Dul Ine examples belie his case. refers, glowingly, to one young couple who it admits are unable to afford a colour TV or a phone. The other example is an even greater indictment of "family life' No model A single parent-hardly a recommended model for Proops' "happy families"_ describes how as a student at college, there no were nurseries and she had to pay a childminder. "Now with degree behind her, she is looking for a job. Unfortunately she caught in situation which woman workers find themselves trapped in-low wages for hours which suit their family commitments." Precisely it the shackles of the family unit period capitalist crisis oppress The infamous handout student mother. failure provide any alternative child direct provision to the indi- Care boasting that vidual family which keep her and countless other women from full-time employment to match their • lauds the qualifications and âm bi- Law AC tions. "trespass"- Reactionary tions and squatting-a crimi- Producing her as evi- assaults dence on for the of are țamily life is the firal twist behind the in this pernicious, reaction- of the family: ary anti-socialist piece.

Only a Marxist approach, nation contented starting from the need to provide socialised child care catering facilities and laund- The rest of the pamphlet, in the ries, can begin to replace the appalling domestic drudgery that is in social the central facet of life in and falling living the individual bourgeois family unit And the fight for. such policies fighting to Despite all the evidence expose and remove Labour Callaghan his fellow

ABO

increased reactionaries, the and build revolutionary leadership in the working class. incomes-Callaghan's to. argut

NATIONAL ABORTION

CAMPAIGN

Labour's cuts have attacked abortion rights

Page 10

INDUSTRIAL

PARTIAL VICTORY

IN HOSPITAL FIGHT

St. Columba's Management Team and the Chelsea and Hospital on Hampstead Westminster Health Heath is still open and Authority. the health authorities have been forced to Leading role concede that normal They have played a lead- admission patient role delaying the Ing prodecures can be decision run down St. resumed for three Mary's Hospital in Harrow months. Road; in reversing the This partial victory decision to close Heretord 1s a Bayswater, Lodge and trbute to the workers at the now in forcing the AHA to declared hospital-who all "temporary' its occupation prevent closure at St. Columba's.

closure-and persistent The

AHA

decision and principled opposition to shop close St. Columba's within by the joint cuts stewards committee for the tour weeks was taken on 4 health district to which St.

February 1979. February, Columba's is attached. On 26 the JSSC has DJSSC held a meeting at The District Columba's at which three important

TO W

WOll battles in the last 12 months unanimous was the District taken to support against local

WHY YOU

SHOULD

JOIN US

Whichever way you look at the struggles and prob- lems now facing the working class throughout the world one thing stands out above all: the necessity for a prin- cipled leadership capable of leading the struggle for state power and the establishment of a socialist society.

massive The revolutionary upheaval undl toppled the seemingly impregnable might of the Shah of Iran and which is now already coming into conflict with "leaders" placed upon it by its Islamic TeStACHORS serves as a vivid reminder that socialist revolution is not only possible, capitalist but essential it the apparatus oi repression and exploitation is to be destroyed once and JOT all. But such a revolution requires a conscious Marxist leadership. And the might to construct such a leadership is inseparable from the fight in the day-to-day struggles of the working class internationally principles.

TOT

method and demands of the Trotskyist Transitional Pro- gramme. The Workers Socialist League has time and again proved to be the only movement in Britain that fights patiently and relentlessly on such a perspective.

We alone are the movement that does not shrink from even head-on battles with the existing leaders of the work- - whether these 'leaders' be open right wingers, ing class "left' talking Labourites or Stalinists of the Communist Party. Of course this policy has made us no friends in the.

Labour bureaucracy, the trade union and amongst opportunists and centrists of the Bntish left'. But it has that the WSL has consistently offered the most powerful lead to workers in struggle.

The strength of our movement lies precisely in our rejection of any attempt to find "short cuts" around the necessary fight to construct a Marxist leadership in the working class. In each struggle we set out to prove to workers both in theory and in practice the necessity of a new, rev- olutionary leadership and for a programme of transitional today's problems and demands from today's consciousness within the working class, lead

NEWS

if and to fight for the resum- workers there Iney decided to ocçupy it against ption of normal admissions.

On closure. April, The stewards pledged to

SOI

stewards and St. Columba's call for supporting strike workers, together with sup- action in their own hospitals porters trom the iocal com- if any attempt was made to munity, attended the AHA go ahead with the closure.

meeting. A week later the occupa- tion was declared. After the protestors had Following direct presented their arguments by approaches the shop by interrupting constantiy stewards, medical staff 'Ine the meeting, the AHA voted hospital the agreed overwhelmingly al re-open defy the DMT and admit the hospital to full admis- patients sions pending the outcome

SO IC

UlE 'humanitarian' grounds. of the statutory consulta- tion procedure. Lobby The sudden and callous move to close the hospital On 6 April, the shop had been made as part of a stewards further back plan meeting at'St. Columba's at £400,000 overspent against which they urged the staff 'cash limits' by North West District of Kensington, the next Hird Health Authority Chelsea and Westminster mecilng

PARALIST LEAGUE

DON AREA

STRUT THE 4TI

SIALIST RE

workers in struggle to grasp the need for socialist revol- utio This is why the WSL has featured at the forefront of struggles in British Leyland and the public sector, pay 'in the fight against redundancies and closures, in struggles unionisation fights, and the fight for against the cuts, democracy in the labour movement.

This method of approach - rejecting any descent to simple trade union militancy or concession to the labour is of course essential not only in Britain •ureaucracy but internationally. In taking up international issues in the labour move- ment the WSL stresses not only the obligation of British workers to support the Irish liberation olutionary struggles such as those in Iran and Southern Africa, but also the necessity for the reconstruction of the Trotskyist Fourth International as the organising centre of the world party of socialist revolution.

The WSL is not the biggest movement on the left in to both theory and practice Britain; but its approach make it the only really serious revolutionary movement.

WHY NOT JOIN US?

Fill in the form below for more details, or approach your local branch, who will gladly supply more infor- mation about our programme, policies, and perspectives.

More details Please send me more information about the WSL.

Name Address Send to Workers Socialist League 31, Dartmouth Park Hill, London NWS IHR Area Health Authority. Since save denny has not a St. yet been Columba's, the DMT is fran- tically trying to increase and implement the other cuts planned for the bigger, less hospitals vulnerdol Paddington and North Kensington These take the form of leaving unfilled, vacatics axing overume, moducing limiting new rotas and expenditure on advertising for new staff. It now seems very unlike- ly that the authorities have succeeded in their aim saving most of the £400,000 by 5 April, the end of the financial year. Cash limits The 'cash-limit' system means that the remaining have amount will found out of the allocation for the new financial year.

manage- But the local ment's problems have only just begun. In the recent White Paper that the accompanied SO- called neutral' pre-election budget, the Labour govern- ment has stated its intention to make sure that any in the 7% public sector will be paid for out of existing revenue allocations, by cuts services duu ous Tories promise the same ruthless policies if elected.

Add to this the effect of increases in oil prices and the certainty of accelerating inflation and it is clear that about to see the struggle against cuts spread to every NHS hospital and a of heightening the consciousness of all hospital workers of the real meaning of 'cash-limits', public expenditure cuts, resources re-allocation and the policy of low pay. Last but not least, the

AHA

announced at the April the OI. 'discovery' of a £450,000 deticit for financial the year just April 1979), ended because apparently the

DHSS

refusing W do

HOW TO FIGHT

THE CUTS

A WSL pamphlet, based our exper- of struggles in ience London and Oxford. 30p plus 10p p&p from WSL, Dartmouth 31, Park Hill, London NW5 1HR. SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 18 4pnt,19 9 : Serv

UPE

says: Mast Public sector union leaders allocate this amount to Weighting cover London payments. In their resistance to the closure of St. Columba's the hospital staff, mainly NUPE members, and the District Joint Shop Stewards Com-

(DJSSC)

mittee, received minimal assistance from the NUPE apparatus. At the meeting of staff called 6 April the on by

DJSSC,

NUPE

full-time Mike Cunningham officer opened meeting by declaring that he knew nothing about the hospital and asking politically staff inexperienced what they thought he should do to help them This statement on its own is an indication of the lack of leadership given by the

NUPE

full-timers Divisional Council and NEC hospital that might have been closed weeks ago. While the NUPE leader- ship have been treating st.

Columba's as just another hospital closure and working out various face- with the saving Labour the government, hospital workers and shop stewards have kept the hos- pital open and at the same obtained token support from Westminster Trades Camden alle Greater Councils, the Association of Trades Councils and the SE Region of the TUC At the NUPE conference London of public sector shop stewards on 15 March, Samaritan Hospital shop Arthur Steele steward successfully moved a resolu- tion calling for supporting strike action if any step was taken to force through the closure of St. Columba's.

Though immediate of closure has threat receded, it is likely soon to necessary trans- form these pledges of resolu- support trom paper tions to concrète solidarity action. How to fight the cuts

Firm stand by The Garners Strike Com- celenate called for June 16. brave They taken stand in defiance of moves that the by TGWU officials to stab London Regional official give their struggle in the back.

events At a strike committee meet- These across Regional Ine last vonday lne committee decided arrangements for the Day Action cared tor May b and the NUT drops pay fight This year's National Union of Teachers' Confer- began with a damp спка squib-the decision effec- tively to abandon this year's After impassioned attacks on Ine management pane!'s refusal lo increase ineir 9% otter, the Executive called not for strike action but the "withdrawal of goodwill" their _metnoo oi fighting for the 36% claim.

All this involves is voluntary duties dinner of the same thing-calling tor an• ine use on half-day strikes, cars tor school business But even the "alternative" action, and for the Executive to by the IMG-inspired arrange a strike duration"' in "selected areas".

socialist leaners Alliance and "Rank Yet at a fringe thi SWP's group offered nothing but more the conference an IMG member Offall

AT THE TОP...

UNION DUES

Garners strikers conference Tor union recoonition Garners strike has to demand embarassed Regional severely massive TGWU officials by highlighting Committee TheIr abject retusal to use the support to these colossal strength of the London Region's 500,000 initiatives have to crush lin-oot emolover Cvri: Committee Margolis into submission roves lo declare at their next through a campaign of blacking meeting. that the strikers want ana nass bickerine. to call off the 15-month struggle Every attempt break through mobilise support from tactories, docks and other TGWU-organised workplaces in the London area has been beset by sabotage time otticias wno would sooner the strike defeated their bureaucratic control challenged. STrKe Committee now. ever has shown once again that it is not prepared to sit meekly ana wait Tor une tinal stad in the back from Regiona Secretary Staden and 'Organiser" onorter All militants within the

TGWU

must fight for support to Ine lo June delegate confer.

ence and every supporter of this struggle for basic union Tonil moolise now Day wav Resolutions, _conations and messages of support should be forwarded to the strike com- 12/13, Mennetta bireer. Loncon wei Demands that the Region 1 Committée support and build Garners pickets conference Ime deredate must forwarded the Regional Committee. from the CPSA in Scotland heard correctly Could denouncing selective strikes "a complete and utter Droody Traud. Monday's debate on salary policy 1980-81 saw Mark Havering moving the opposition to the Executive Memorandum, pointing out that for antained not a sing plity for action, or inkling of how defend members living standards against inflation.

NUSS lobby highlight to You from needs Ny youth

NUSS

Leeos recognition of the demanding school students' union and an end to corporal punishment.

NUT leader Fred Jarvis But in the event there was motion the agenda through which delegates could no cover' these correct respond "extended demands. full report on the week- long conterence will appear in next week's Socialist Press.

E STRIKES TAKE PLACE...

ARE DOMINATED BY A HANDFUL

• TOO OFTEN UNIONS

OF EXTREMISTS

WHO DO NOT REFLECT.

WHAT OPPORTUNIST

BASTARDS- THEY'VE

ONLY DOLEN HOR

BEST CONCORDAT

PROPOSALS!

at NUJ ADM NUJ members meet in the failure of the Ayr next week for their annual conference with the Nottingham question reinstate- от ine been secured. of Nottingham WeLL journalists, sacked during the provincial journalists' strike, likely to be high on the agenda. one attack recent An emercency moron tron Leicester calls for a national one which day stoppage NUJ mem- bers the union sacked members. But the fate of the Notting.

take central to every 28 will be ham blacking or picketing •iscuss on on nanoino week strike, which ine seven branch, ended in January. Motions from suostance anto swindor Scene at a Nottingham mass picket Chrysler reprieve Convenors Chrysler at ment for un to 75% UK's Stoke Engine Plant, normal weekly worker at work for one or more Coventry, reported mass meeting last Friday on ways a week After negotiations over the future meetings with management the of 1200 workers laid off year ment ACAS and local since January. convenors were able to persuade The lay-ofts were due to the management to appiy tor this suspension of production at the plant in which assembles kanipular provisionally kits made in Britain the auntal lo production Employment. in Iran on May 31 resumes the company wa for this action) iketimistic, e workers were not re-called until likely July-and this was not definite convenors Deer thrown a lite-line by the Labout company government in the shape of a persuaded to increase the 75% new scheme which came into to 85% from their own pockets.

force April of negotiated dubears to be an extension Employment the Temporary sharing which involved a return Subsidy. to work on April 23 The actua Government grant involved significant re-organisa- tion ot gangs Under the scheme any firm of which are not declaring more than The redun- waut: dancies can apply to the govern- from £70.73 a week for a grade

..WE WOULD CRACK DOWN ON UNOFFICUL STRIKERS B

CUTTINA SOCIAL SECURITY PAYMENTS TO THEIR FAMILIES..

YEAH! THAT WOULD

WRECKERS ALRIGHT!

. WE WOULD ALSO PROVIDE

ELECT

ALL UNION OFFICLALS BY POSTAL BALLOT!

OH CHRIST-ELECTIONS FOR

ALL OFFICIALS? WHAT THE HELL

ARE THEY PLAYING AT ?!

Page 11 Notts fight key from the Press withdraw

NEC

Council, publicise instead members that the future of the owr code and propose a new body to handle journalsts nad not complaints against Although the terms of this new body this Court rulings leTt vague is likely to invoke • the Moton most united oppositior from the Two motions from Oxford right in the union, backed those who claim to occupy emergency motion, the middle ground rulings The Press Council, the body of employers, union mem.

Impose blacking and one calls and others (usually more bers to disregard employers) such 'legal limits on the right to • Is one ot the wavs ir which th ring to an hitorm ly strikes, whetner backing to the claims civen the employer run a A motion from the Magazine Circe A decision to break from which has been backed by the national executive, call on the union to motion from Sheffield calls for the election of officials every tree years, by telling the NEC to bring such a proposal to the 1980 conference rulE changing conference). The standing orders commit- tee this • year has excelled itself. Not introduce bureaucratic procedure which threatened to axe many motions off the agenda but it has ruled out of order. both motions on Ireland on the grounds that they to the Interest membershio A motion against the public expenditure cuts ano even expression in support of International Year The Child received the same treat- ment. in " motion support Human Rights is included.

Thi further those rights from Ireland the better so far as the standing orders committee is concerned of the one worker working a one day for week This compares with a £79 a week normal wage The plan was accepted almost hectic series unanimously The closing speeches stressed Employment, the role of the Labour govern left' MPs, the ment "saving lOos Chrysler workers Canc were urged to remember this on May subsidy and signed Several ouestion. remain Department of The convenors stressed open (They came the temporary nature line solution meeting for suppor What do they are not contract The Iran Work sharing • recover the levels of production which are planned? did the govern-

HISO

then ment agree to this massive hand.

out without a clear and open Chrysler's examinatior convenors then books? plan work And why, if Chrysler didn't have not ine money, was it _nationalcer? work-sharing has The plan has vet agreed by the Department of the implications Employment and even if it is as the fundamental yet clear problems paid go remain unanswered.

(.. PICKETS WOULD BE RESTRICTED IN N

LONLY ALLOWED OUTSIDE THEIR OWN PLACES OF WORK..

(BUT MASS HAS BEEN

LINE FOR AGES!

NOW THAT WOULD END

HELLO JIM BOYO, CLIVE HERE_VE BEEN THINKING

ABOUT THE TORY MANIFESTO

-I'VE DECIDED TO

MATIS YET

ANOTHER

·50,000 то

YOUR ELECTION

FUND!

PRESS

BL -RIGHT

TO STRIKE

ATTACKED

BL have nGoCeHCH made clear to BL's .it National Negotiating Com- mittee that they intend to impose their forcibly controversial new five grade wages structure. The structure is central to the corporate bargaining system WACh bL is tryine lo achileve-d system which would place wage negotiations in the hands of full• time National officials. The new aradina structure is opposed" by the the bulk ot 90,000 manual workers. in differ. Lars •ecause twieens entials and puts the majority of AUEW leader Duffy- production workers down denounced strike grade 3 Management have made their chairman Roy move in an effort to use the two

OUT

WrecK 4,500 of Duffy weighed

WECK

almost identical statement, BL'S yOlo crattsmen as a lever to get the hew structure in.

launched a union "inquiry" into hey hope to da this either nis activites. by Echoing Duffy, persuadine Ine crarismen s Birmingham leaders to drop tne demanas oT to strike and sete or or tre described the United Craft Com- mittee imposition of the new grading: squad". or-even worse tor workers-by the defeat of such massive against Alan Thornett in 1974- stiNc, signalled tlit orotracted standards and on the power of would Management uner shop stewards have the power to dictate terms In their bid tor these objec.

tives, the door has been opened hunt successful achieve their for management by the national of forcing in leaders or mne maor unions in BL. structure, It will not ena inere They have given complete They through carry

3U000TL

wtor ecactleu scabbing ano striKe breakine WiJiC! tuty which has kept the BL plants in Tail eo to production-even if at a reduced along with the proposed 7,000 late This has meant that vital Darly packace plant and equipment has been - failed to supervision repaired ariu inroads into manning standards managers. this has some cases in ost olalils Now involved managers in expensive and Assembly sults climbing into rOOTS WITA resistance to manning cuts has welding torches to get the tracks forced management into recruit- mOViTe labour ing cancy targe s reached. right wingers such but of Terry Duffy, President the ments plan BL have laid a care.

AUFW. have not been content ful strategy. with active strike breaking. Duffy joined with the plants, they chairman. Michael Edwardes in LITt s0zarieu ments' what has become tne bodest „to those bants witch-hunt against strike met their criteria. Edwardes Soon They say atter plants have met this criteria- been WElC] by decICed Leicester Trades Cowley Body, Assembly, Council tanert Pressinos Mobilisation against National Front march i nese No platform for fascists differ in each plant will only be paid when the new grades April 21,,1975 accenteo imposed by management. Assemble at 12.00 noot Until then Victoria at Park, Deing London Rd., Leicester. the management make it crucial Ene i breaking is stopped

SOCIALIST

The craftsmen's demands for à vant z v cłą dn separate negotiating rights are lea timate emanas wnie tney have the right to fight for with the protection the trade union movement. All BL workers must act to defend the Cra lomuen dna stod a major defeat taking place. To this production workers must refuse to operate equipment repâired by manage ment or scabs. i nis is not easy • Decause o1 the attitude of the Duffy leader- ship and because it leads to lay ofts without pay-but it can and committee must be done. Frase in struly Cowey Assembly industry' Plant a start has been made. The WIEn snoo stewaros commi . and tee meeting last week adopted following resolution: "That this TGWU stewards the AUEW committee ceo ore. the District Secretary scabbing by and management. committee

COL S

demon tort diso accore. autors inose trade union readers The last time BL engaged in are supporting this scabbing".

witch-hunt- slall This resorulion

MUSE

assav t on manno translated into action. Bob Fryer, convenor of the plant has movement. said he will support anv sectior This time, even if the witch- which acts on .this resolution. and they. The craftsmen's strike immediate objec- despite the 5 grade reports that exacceratec oress 'hundreds' are drifting back to will use that victory to work. the speed-up have tr ue thal Tem no tccdb electricians returned have acnieve vo . nOw Cowley. but this offset of more plants the probability required by olane Tne StriKe Easter holiday. Until now management have It is crucial now that the make any significant spread and Strike strengthened. Cowley the Body plants, The

LCJNC

and the conference (whicl before redun- to press) should meets ds we ck been have Enrow out the natea corporate bargaining package and unite BL In forcing in their new pay.

struggle tight Of individual Tes Lore •ant darocono ane tne oresen- In order to split the unity of tation to management of proper now intend to claims wage restore wage 'parity udyi levels wich productivity

FUND

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scaboing and strike- Oxford weekly tote winner: Card no. 154 Published by Folrose Led. for the Work ers Sicarest League, 31, Dartmouth Park Hill, London NW5 1 HR.

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SAVAK

of armed The rally that concluded the Sinn Fein march Ireland march Scarcely more than 400 struggling for national indepen dence today means marchers took part in two *i tomorrow ine Tignt agalnsı separate demonstrations in capitalism. London "The on ounday. agamst British imperialism Ireland. disus. whateve stamped on their passports."

Sinn Fein called a demon. Michael stration trom speaking Kilburn Square, After a dispute rein Uneeriined (Sinn Fein allowed no omer speakers their platform). the Irish Repub- teolocie lican Socialist Party called their or Mary' march through Kilburn ai Tne same time stage revorution Given the extreme likelihoad second stage does not include of fascist attacks Ireland socialism. marene. was criminal folly for two separate marches to take place. Defence The physical defence of anti.

imperialist torces demanded ont march and the Tact that coto marches escaped serious attack does not mitigate this. the RS! t nened supported by a handful march, of SWP totalled no members, iore Inar vastiy outom bered by police Sin pulled more-per. haps 300-350. Apart from those marcine unoer creen vacs. the WSL contingent was the largest Maoists and UTOM also supported and slogan placard. demanded the immediate with- drawal of British troops; the political Testorauon status tor the lont pri blackr nd blacking supplies to the British army, anc called on Scargill to drive out NUM-sponsored butcher, Wason. The WSL cut across national- slogans with call for a ist WOrKeS resuoc ou reland A leatiet nanded out by tne

WSL

saluted the and courage endurance of Irish republicans •UU cont asted Ine with the approach of the WSL lationalism of Sinn Feir We reject any notion tha It's been a very quiet week over Easter with only £59.63 If you the coupon below The £2,500 Special Fund moved forward by only £1 Name. Address. All donations for either fund should be sent to: Socialist Send to

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Sharks weep for butchers The summary trials and provoked widening ripples executions of well over 100 of hypocritical protest of the highest officials of throughout the world. the Shah's tyranny (includ- Manv who had not uttered a ing a Prime Minister, heads word against the Shah's 25 years of oppressior and brutality have of the and now found the execution of it: forces) have agents and perpetrators "contrary to human rights" prize cynical hypo-

TOT

Crisv must do to britIs L:•ol Fore n Sere arp the Caen who backed one lo unc cne. Last week Nt expressed his "total opposition tons mch fied to guarane _trials execu- os c aman cienis to ran To Owen, no doubt, , "human rights" they were safer when arms deals with lavolvenuet British capitalism However, the priest-domin- ateo stamic courts whichart carrying out the trials are not democratic whict courts directiy represent the masses oi worker Ce samic courts shoto be oe tae d rec rer eic s e the direct representatives of WOrKINu masse wne suffered the worst effects of the tyranny The stepping up of the much publicised executions over the last two (though promised trial of the Shah in his dosence nas suli not oeoun; f partly a demagogic effort to avert the attention of the masses • worsening TroM rabiev economic situation Angry demonstrations putting ott anemoioyed workers demanoine government provide Inat TnE work have been reported in the only free Ireland is one last few days in Tehran lin front freed from the yoke of all capit- ot the house of the bowertu "progressive' •Ayatollat tue natlonallti Taleghani) Isfahan ano in 'Callanain, Tabriz and Shiraz. for Provisional Sint Lone ocTore nev nave rur gulf out of agents of the previous The between nationalism and social.

anți-working class regime to put in a demagogic attack onuriar. une new samic anti class regime of Trom Moscow, Mac Khomeini . and Bazargan have In their conception of a two slal leu Tace uneu own political trial in front of the ever they fraudulently offered to solve.

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