Socialist Press no. 170

CALLAGHAN DEFEAT

Setbacks-Callaghan Despite weeks of back- room manoeuvres and inten- sive lobbying, Labour leader Callaghan suffered damaging defeats last week in his bid to resist democratic reforms in the Party. A 4-3 margin won a demand for the introduction of all Labour

LOLY

reselection

VICS

ane a similar maority out control of the party's manifesto into the hands of the National -xecutive committee. Hammer blow Though Callaghan successful- ly repulsed a parallel move to take the election of the party leader out or the grip or the Parliamentary Labour Party these defeats have struck Turiner nammer author of and marked crisis and marked a high point witnin une barty. once again tnese ceve loo ments in the Labour Party can a reflection of the seen as crowing milancy working classin the - Tace OT by the capitalist class and a hostile government.

Last october ine tenacious strike by Ford workers pay against the Labour government Tormeo Ene backeros tor ine conference defeat of Callaghan's wage-cutting 5% pay policy.

This vear's conference took place in the context of contin- bitter pay struggles by MHOr engineering WOrKerS technicians and carworkers at Talbot and Vauxhalls, as well as a mounting mass in every area against tne ories spending cuts, closures and assaults on basic rights.

Appear to lead 'Left' critics of Callaghan, who nave recooniseo inat it inev are not to be swept aside by such a movement they have to aopear To eaou touno unem selves unable to back torms constitutional reforms which thev have oftered as the panacea to resolve the crisis of leadership within the party.

SOCIALIST

PRESS

Weekly paper of the Workers Socialist League * No. 170 * 10 October 1979 * 15p

TESTS

LABOUR

LEFT

refuse to implement the

CUTS

cuts and backed unions tak- ing action against them. Instead there will be only a "massive and vigorous" The conference offered campaign of protest while bucketfuls of rhetoric Labour councillors up and against the Tory spending down the country do the cuts, but voted down Tories' dirty work. motion that would have called on Labour councils to Abortion this effect had been toiled by emereency the Oxford CLP. But the motion adopted simply called on Labour MPs to A lobby by the National oooose the sil leavina reaction aries like Harold Wilson and Abortion camoaon on weenes.

day demanded that the Labour others follow their leadership impose a 3-line whip the Tory consciences Into anti-abortion lobbies. on virs to oooose tne corrie anti-abortion Bill at its Third Reading. party neury can easily reverst these changes-though the right wing will energetically struggle do so. particulany on une manifesto issue. But what has been consis- tently left to one side is the alternative question ot what policies the 'lefts' can offer to go into the manifesto. Dodging action Indeed while the press thun- dered its opposition to the 'left reforms, the conference itself was avoiding any call immeolate action acainst ine cuts, dodging any attempt to force

MPS

to Labour oppose Corrie's anti-abortion bill duck.

ing any challenge to Callaghan's stated opposition strike to defeat action aesigned Skinner bring down the Tories, and squirming out of any commit- Indeed such is the feeling ment nationalist malor industry. witnin the party rank and THe and many. trade unions that it Perhaps the most wretched of the 'lefts' inability seems unlikely the impending display Nationalisation "Left figurehead Tony Benn led the NEC appeals for conference to reject a motion committing the Party to nationalise the top 200 monopolies-arguing that they would not carry out such a policy.

TORIES

Not one of the resolu- tions adopted by the confer- ence in any way challenged Callaghan's explicit state- ment that the Labour Party To challenge ine rant wina was offered when a debate on Ire- forced land onto the agenda Callaghan and the right wing around Carivassiriy trade union backing in opposing the 'troops out' motion-but did not themselves dare to stand up and speak against it Instead they handed over their dirty work to two Tribun- 'left' wingers-Michael Foo Torture ano a Tormer'unIo Minister, Stan Orme, loyally waded into a shameless defence of British imocratis repression in the six counties And only three members of a supposedly 'left wing' led NEC -Dennis •kinner Joan vavnare and Huckfield-voted to ec oppose the NEC calling on the comerence to reject the troop: out' motion. This line up between the bulk of the lefts. the right wind and the imperialists on Ireland is no accident: it in with the 'lefts' Marxism and Culture Page 8 USFI and Portugal. •pp.6-7 NF faction fight.. .. p.9 • p.3. Spanish Callaghan back in Which way now? Benn with conference chairman Allaun

IRELAND

Instead a vague motion was passed calling for a plan for a "socialist transforma- motion calling for the tion" along with the pledge immediate withdrawal of British sold off troops from Ireland was forced to renationalise onto despite an without compensa- aSSeTS initial that the tion. matter should vet again not be discussed. But with 'left' wing oppos- would oppose mass indus- ition from Tribunites Orme and trial action designed Foot it was defeated on a show defeat or bring down the of hands-including large Tories before the expiry of numbers of trade union votes their five-year "mandate" workers snould check to see which way their union and GMC While there was talk of delegates voted: has there ever action "inside and outside been a ciscussion or reanoin your union or Labour Party? On parliament" against the anti- what basis were so many votes union laws, it was plain that of cast in tavour imeeranst such actions are intended as repression in Ireland? nothing more than protests: COntrols protect 'British' employers against foreign' competitors, and their aerence tne subsidies pumps covernment into private industry. Like Callaghan, the 'lefts' see the road to socialism as one through peaceful, parliamentary retorms. Inev too tear the mass mobilisation of the class in independent struggles mat could rapidiv exoose their own hollow socialist rhetoric.

Beginning of fight This is whv Callaahan's dede But the hell beginning the end but the real beginning tne struggle Tor new leadership in the labour movement. Orme In stepping up the demands In this way many workers on tne erts to oress nome tne victory fighting for the crisis in all wigs or he later correctly learn from Yemoval of the Callaghan leader- snio ane camoaionina tor ater- rarty the nees to bulle native, socialist policies, workers principled, revolutionary leader- can quickly test out these glib- take forward their talking 'socialists' struggles acainst te tories

CONFUSION ON LEFT ASSISTS

PERUVIAN DICTATORSHIP

Mao's heirs attempt to deal Page 2 Peruvian The 'General Strike of Juiy 1977 opened convulsive period of workers mobilisation which has continued to remain in orce ever since, although it has. varieá intensity In m during :Ifferent pariods.

This tir was sup arted the Ulic camilals, whieh.

AFRA,

CONITOS

Ene Confederation Peruvian Workers (CTP), and also by the Stalinists of the Peruvian Com munist rarty wno control the most important workers confed- eration, the CGTP. Tnel aictatorsnip with no social base whatsoever.

President Morales Bermudez' mutarv coveramen succeeoed to some extent in restraining the development of opposition off wutilical Darties

. WITN

Tene promise elections to a constituent assem- bly 1978, that July although working class mobilisa tion continued almost unabated, did without political leadership. Overall majority The assembiv opened on 28 July with the bourgeois parties gaining the overall majority as

APRA

crpcca "articularty and the PPC), but the left taking 34% of the votes. The most successful electoral Torce on ine leit was rOlcr front which includes on its left wing, Trotskyist' parties (the official

USFI

_tne PR7 section r Hugo biancor the PST (the section in support the Bolshevik Faction of the vor eo ov canoue rernanoez Chacon) and the

POMR

(the of the OCRFI, led by section nicaroo vaduri On the right of the FOCEP figure around which the major varous orner sman parties ane independents are grouped Ledesma, dent who, like Blanco, has been active since tae sixzies.

This front was not based on a socialist programme but did stipulate Hs ac. ment tat t woule alliances with bourgeois parties" -parties that were mentioned bv name. The other forces on the left Stalinist and the are the JDP. a Maoist grouping led by Barrantes. Sovereign On Juy vear the iast T-oisk, s: 50 →05 rasuces = r. .: inai *-om that day the m.l car, ecve:nment was defunct and the •nmtyerr assenoy sovereon.

Not surprisingly they were a few supported only by inde- oeneerts trom mne Mad STSA The massive strike wave con- civil servants, bank tinued, the workers. meta. Wo Kes miners were all out and in a militant mood, staging demon- Suratons Thar callee not oniv tol wage rises and better working conditions but for the downfal ov ine dlcoorse Naturally neither the bourgeois parties nor the anxious to take Stalinists were Dower U noBl unese conoitions and were only too pleased to leave the military continue their savage repression and keep their own hands clean. Left cover The Stalinists gave a left cover жo fae vn ones who had moved to a position of SuNV l mie oresnd ca the downfall of the dictatorship or organising a general strike to widespread but courusiald Tanoon stakes. September 1978 the broken was through hunger. isolation and military attacks, and there was a

EN EL 50 ANIVERSARIO DEL

PARTIDO DE MARIATEGUI

temporary retreat by the work- ing class left was divided over take; there position Calls generai strike, tor the setting up of soviets and popular assembly and for immediate erections various sections coupled with resounding The thirtieth anniversary of of the founding the People's Republic of China is a good opportunity to reassess the years' achieve- and developments

MCUL

and recent trends. 52.'7 experts as =e Maxwell and Jonn ui ae a miserable affair which failed on all counts. akine to a soarse avolence the speakers were keen not to the delegation from the ninese emoassy sitting in int front row.

OUT SOON

"The Battle for Trotskyism" 2nd limited edition of the founding docu- ments of the Workers Socialist League Price £2.50 Available from WSL, 31, Dartmouth Park Hill, London NW5

VAMOS A LA

UNIFICACION

TROTSKISTA

CTOR HUGO BLANCO

SECCIIN PERUANA DE LA IV INTERNACIONAL

Blanco-calling for unity, but furthering confusion In January 1979, when the Stalinists finally cane• a taree general stoppage the Gal division: and infighting of the and the opposition of the CTP meant that no firm leader- ship was given and the strike had to be lifted on the second Intovan ack ou sudooru Constituent Assembly 1 he with their past Only Maxwell expressed at the fact those that unease who been •interest of the People's opponents Republic were now its enthus- iastic supporters. He, of course, failed to analyse why. Exploitation •==** moraris =255 m.= offered •enne cracy in China According to Japanese Chinese survev

IMOT IS

goods may reach •330 billion in the next six years to meet mocer nisation programme. The bureaucracy has made efforts to cncourade investmen from firms and capitalist govern- ments, with promises be allowed to protits which will be removed trom the country cheap stour wsich the offers vast pool of bureau- cracy WVIl| oscione

IOT

capitalism. One investment deal has just been announced by Rong Yiren, chairman Ine newiv estao. lished Chinese International Trust and Investment Corpora TIon.

WILT

coron onen racire Corporation of San Francisco, which will supply $150 million.

Anti-soviet The other interest imperial- ism has in China is its anti-USSR role. Depart- secret « Detenc: ment study concluded that the US should bolster China's military potential and Defence SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 10 October 1979

PCP

approving a bourgeois constitu- expelling simultaneous/y strike as a substitute for effec- and making arrangements the Bolshevik Faction's PST.

SUTEP

L/Ve SuODOTT ano the He was forced to retract this this was backed up by calls from increast noToct expulsion but the the AP and the PPC deputies in the ArRA strong aroltrary : and various holds for the general elections internal battles of the FOCEP religious leaders tor the govern SPiR and oner her the iert candi- and reduce representation from over entry of the ment to Tina a solution to tht teachers strike" ure radica constituencies.

united front the coming elections сане tor tne workers parties formed should be Ledesma, Blanco of was Radical even Barrantes of the UDP behind the call for a one day general strike on Julyo19 wite support both Primaries The hunger strikes spread all Stalinists and the Maoists.

the country, numbers over The most bizarre solution to reaching 300 stage, strike Entis backed up in some of the more Stalinists in * he inpasse must be that of the 5. i. • *i who propose socialist pre radical provincial cities such a elections" on the model of the Ayacucho Cusco and Arequipa unusual L alır novelichl, by general North American presidentia . one and two day america wnere workers oreknts ations are generally controlled primaries, tn wnich teven mem stoooades bers of the bourgeois parties Unsurprisingly this by the nationalist parties.

propa- gandist approach affected the will be invited to participate!

Declining wonule these electora barty covernment nO1 c one WhIt-In continue, the teachers fact the spectacle of the entire games leadership No concrete gains were made strike continued well into quietly starving It: despite declining rapidly deatr the LIFt TourIn mont togetner iu samt union,

SUTEP

police stanearo oi vine or une work.

ottioino (controlled by the Maoist Patria ing class-the minimum wage protection mușt have afforded can buy only half of the govern- Roja) remains unofficial despite them considerable satisfaction.

Ienl oe niCIOn latil y a emoersme o1SU UVv Wide forces shopping At least 5,000 of the strikers basket. ano OTTIC a figures put malnutrition at 65% have been sacked, That hunger strike is now although of the population which makes over, others continue ilave dilesltu their leadership, and there have such oalns imoerative Ine alterent Darts survival of the class been scores of deaths during the country: The level of violence from Its aim was to draw together Cany ucmonstr dlors wc lano the the streets and occupy The trooos was aiso evident witn WIdesT randt Torces at least three deaths and three embassies, offices behind the teachers strike, but thousand although this helped the morale arrests on that day and intetitaliutldl ui canisallurls night alone „otten wInd ElIt StrIKeTS Writ! Unfortunately the left now on the gates of the strength was showing sions o seem to be more concerned over flagging, it was no substitute for presidential palace effective elections cehel dr uganisalul. July Rivalry «тхео Tor next vear. su•oortno surike action.to torei than the disorganised but still the government to recognise the mobilisation of the The political rivalry between and settle continuing Stalinists and the Maoists is the workine class m n te teace cs In August Ledesma signed an reflected in the lack of eftective As we do to press, we nea electoral pact with the PSR lone support that the strike has now ended Tor the teacners by ine CGTP affiliated union with no concessions having been the buscos wal tlc. Last month 32 'left' politica the scribed in Tounding docu• won trom ine dictatorsnio ane ment of the FOCEP, a populist the union still denied ane union eaders—nc une [ne Trotskyists' began a hunger nition. 'left' military grouping) and the Secretary Harold Brown is shortly to visit Peking. of talks atest ro une between the Soviet Union and China-the first such talks since Revolu ioserting the Cu tUra Antien china watchingy ni upsetting "China watching" also going on at the moment to try and ferret out the present Di saucraiic clicué's etr aude -.'-.. trials or mre Jianying, a senior vice •resident mae une man versary speech on behalf of the wu cautaly. "Contribution" .. eu ihia Deng They organised He listed Mao now renabiliateo as one of ine Demo- those (along MssociaTon to with unou enea course anc nav MOSTIy Chu Te and others) who made regained places lost dozens of cratic. scentic ane socials Studies , complained at the mal- "immortal contribution" years agc I at this way the "right" treatmer! of petitioners and Tae burlaing COT Ene reooe. Republic. faction nas •een Strenatnen ec Tne іссхо oricla The Maoists against the group around supple-spined monta mark ine trire anni Dongxing, Mao's closest versary of Mao's death the British Revolutionary Communist Legou nowever. colaboralol still straddling the fence-are at though they have now Despite

ITS

eTTOrtS apparentiy gained the confid emphasise that this the contrary, the wallis appear try the Gang of speech attacks only a "doamatic Fuur Chinese Stalinist bureaucracy, understanding" of Mao, not the not well in Peking 11K 0 counter oart himself-and There are many signs of oppos- against USSR and elsewhere, remains a ition to the regime. fundamentally unstable sitc ton or tae revoctin regime ary ste gls" sTories …ae titerino out oalaneine nervosiv etween de described rioting in Hainan Island involv- Cultural power masses their ot the 9,000 people about own country and the power of nevolution as ten ione vears o havoc" 300 and world imperialism reporter •eac This is not surprising as most wounded neeoeos alotsKy Opposition groups have also of the twelve new members just ist leadership capable brought Peking re-emerged. with the publicatior advancing struggles of the OnTO (Explor- Political Committee are 70-year of a magazine Tansuo i.of • Ilast: Ine arcaton olds who were accused of differ- ations) which attacks the lack of the oolltica overthrow the Cultural Revo- political and defends Peking bureaucracy. Ct CareS ll

US LICO

lution or earlier and disgraced.

Mao's memory.

SPANISH 'LEFTS' COLLAPSE PAVES

WAY FOR GONZALEZ-AND

SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 10 October 1979 James Callaghan can draw comfort from the fate of his fellow right- wing reformist leader, Felipe Gonzalez by Last week, an over- whelming margin (86% of the Gonzalez votes) was voted back into the General Secretaryship of Spain's Socialist Party (PSOE) from which he resigned six months ago. might have been ditterent partv from the one which voted six months ago, against Gonzalez' passionate that the PSOE opposition, should continue to define itself as a "Marxist, working class party" "Marxists" who carried the day in May were reduced to a mere 7% of the delegates. Unscrupulous This was the result of an of usuluvuuus valli valell constitution-rigging and carried vul over the last six months by Gonzaiez and nis gang But the of the victory right cannot be put down to fraud. followed from the supine poutica weakness of the "lefts" of the PSOE. The opportunity opened up by Gonzalez' humiliation in May found the 'lefts' not struggle for the leaullig ally "Marxism" they proless lo believe in. bul rainer para- lysed with fear of assuming any responsibility By a set of pathetic,

COUP FAILS

The balance of power within Argentine the military has shifted decisive.

ly in favour of the ruling of Generals Videla faction and Viola after last week's abortive coup attempt by 'hardliner' General the Luciano Menendez. Hard though it may be to aistinguish between tne airer- ent variants repression proferred by the Argentine there is no doubt that collas appreciable political differences exist not between factions these within forces. intelligence corps vie with each other tor intormation.

each controls different news- papers and has a distinct con- sTituency insice ine courceots political elite. In short, after four years in power me aroehme muitary Is reproducing the contradictions bourgeois political tition within 'unified orcanic institutionalist Intra- structure. there is certain scope for the manoeuvre and Daredlf- ing or civic political torms, this is very limited and the normal form of resolution is typically military: ine coup Menendez is known as the figure of the Pinochet leading Schoo on Taolott in arentina blaming Videla for being 'soft' 'communists despite the resident s racora of liquidating tens of thousands of militants.

Menendez wanted to wage a holy which the

COALITION

yellow have contributed to making compromises they have "the collaborated in triumph of Felipe", which alternative pating they now even shamelessly claim as a victory for them- While the 'lefts' rejoice selves! 2001] meaningless This laughable claim is Felipe Gonzalez formulae, based view and the right wing have party OM the that the need for the special iron grip on the congress shows that the and are preparing to party still dominates over lead it even further to the paily any individual leader- right-possibly even into a almost the reverse of the coalition government with truth. hard- the increasingly The 'lefts' also Francoists of claim pressed the that, though the special Democratic Centre Union congress voted a new defini-

(UCD).

tion of the party as a "mass attempt to get the democratic and Congress lederal' vote agaillsl party (i.e. not Marxist) their coalition with the capitalist views really prevailed in the parties was angrily rejected resolution which defined the leaders who were PSOE's relation to willing be constrained to Marxism. in a "subordinate" position.

Tool The Gonzalez leadership This said that the PSOE and their opponents took Marxismi lived up the certainly to "as theoretical tool, a of keynote critical but non-dogmatic, "slow revolu- Congress-the for of social the analysis tion" to socialism. reality" The slowest route to any and that the party would stated destination is to go in incorporate: the opposite direction. and "Marxists which Marxist elements

HARDLINE GENERALS'

ano students virtudy took uvel and impelled the down- the city To oT me nana dictators Cordoba has been the centre of deepening class conflict for over a decade and outside o Bust im Airtant industria ne important industrial most political location m arena Cordobaza The 1969 'Cordobazo' had a resounding effect national politics as a whole and current policies of the Videla-Viola axi!

the inevitaol leading reappearance of the mass move.

HICC

chord symphony 'reconstructed Videla subversion' openly regime would TreeIno The newspaper owner Jacobo devastating executed Timmerman after nearly three pogrom. Videla and army chief Viola, years or arrest Timmerman is a liberal to be prefer on the terrane. sure, but his guilt really lay not more sophisticated method of night time raids, the victims of in tne tew lines oT criticism ne his Jewishness voiced but in which "disappear thoroughly repugnant This is less emotionally satis- fying for the homicidal Arcentme mutary which nas to decades nursed anti-semitism as ideologues but appreciably more an integral part of its unwritten eticient

TOI

Tine ourposes o foreign policy. coot or conduct. clear indication of this of Timmerman une release his attempt to restor Video in is the fact that the crimes of the attempt ArentIne retime have neve made the impact on the inter- •con for auman riones in areen national working class tina but it does not, , either in even itself or allied with the remova that Wd. produced by those of Pinochet •i werencer. consuture a sonit.

and his butchers in Chile.

icant event for the masses.

and There sound material cause to Menendez' particular economic cone tion. the ideology of for the Argentine workers will found the ternal subversion Until his downtall and sub . wnen sequent arrest he was comman- disintegration interna forced through and driven Jer of the powerful garrison in the point of overthrow by the Corood. In centre ardenna. the scene of the mass upsurge ness movement use oresaised in behind a socialist programme.

in which car workers Felipe Gonzalez Workers murdered in Portugal Two agricultural workers the old in the Alentejo in Southern dictatorship in April already aroused Portugal fell victim on has 28 massive anger from the working September to the counter- class, only two months trom the revolution panamentary and municipa elections due to take place in Both members of a Collec- December tive Brigade, they Production dead, and several Numerous acmonstiations • protest took place last week wounded, throughout the country. Republican Party, National Guard (GNR). Communist The GNR unit was stationed headed by Alvaro Cunhal, put itself at the head of of many land seized from the workers these-but this was in order to the last control the spontaneous anger over two years to be of its rank and file, not to direct

COCK

une landowners. the movement against the reac The law which allows this Cunhal declared himself the gains made by Portuguese "very worried" by the murders, and peasants in 1974 and rushed to discuss the matter and 1975 was passed under the has "untassiled wind aegis Party promised a full enquiry into the SocIalist government of Mario Soares.

incident. Its implementation was The Socialist Party leader the Mota Pinto ship, which tears the spontan government against growing eous mobilisation of the work peasant and worker resistance.

ing class at least as much as cle has appealed for calm and the face of such resis- against "extremist provoca- tance me corelaker covernmen tions" of Maria de Lurdes Pintassilgo (friend and admirer of former the workers the

BUT

Alentejo know very well who announced suspension of of the res boars further restoration of land only ponsibility for last week's armies-the Socialist Party actore which when unprovoked attack by the GNR.

i a minority govern. workers' deaths, the ment in 1976 introduced a law which aliowed restitution first kind the LuCH Alentejo since the downfall of of land to the former exploiters Puz: s New offensive against Pol Pot Despite claims by the Heng Samrin regime in Kampuchea that the Khmer Rouge forces under Pol Pot had been all but eliminated, the huge Vietnamese army of occupation has launched a new offen- sive against the Khmer Rouge positions. Diplomatically, Pol Pot's barbarous regime continues to enjoy Chinese and imper- ialist support. once again recog- nised by the UN last month the rightful government of Kampuchea. 200,000 force But at the military level it is believed that the Khmer Rouge's ability to defend its positions against Vietnamese 200,000-strong force is now very small weeks 1n

LWU

refugees have told stories of trading Pol Pot's troops their guns for rice to avert famine. The evidence of catastro- phic famine in Kampuchea : continues to grow The official position of and their puppet in Phnom Penh is that there is no "except small tamine pockets" But they have taken in the last week to encourage more reliet food from charities supplies In the imperialist countries They are also reported to have cut the rice ration to the Vietnamese troops people And once again who have migrated from the devastated countryside to the cities reportedly are being forcibly returned to work in agriculture, where more than 10% , of the usable arable land is being cultivated. Pol Pot

Religion fails to stem the class Right cramps nursery fight Page 4 struggle It is of the sign total bankruptcy of those seeking a solution to the Northern Ireland "problem" that they place such desperate hopes in the pronounce- ments of the world's leading exponent of mediaeval thought. But of centunes Catholic bigotry could not prevent Manonals! population from taking up a struggle against then the events of last week- ena will nave no chance ol materially affecting the con- tinuation of the war. Struggle goes on days after the few Pope's plea to reject Provisional the violence. IRA made it clear that their struggle will continue and that they regard the Church leaders incapable the material problems which gave rise to the contlict Though talk of Southern The Irish Tories of the Lynch govern- have made their expected move to join hands with British imperial- against Republicans North and South. The military announced Detween Michael O'Kennedy, Irish Foreign Minister, and Humphry Atkins, BrITISA Norther irelano Minister, will give official bless- military ing to filally wallites a wink and a nod. British Army helicopters are overtly soutnern airspace oy six miles in 'pursuit of suspects'.

Intelligence Joint will over dlions carried out between the Garaa and the RUC and full exchange of intelligence information will take place. In the north the appoint- ment of Sir Maurice Oldtield, Tormer head of Mib is the signat of a massive increase in surveill- ance in what is already one of the most effective police states in the world. Fein activists for Dinn Letters Dear Comrades, It is clear that in many and localities where

LO W

facilities caucation Tory spending cuts, nursery campaigns are among the first to get underway. In the Accrington Clayton-le-Moors the Nursery Action Group has formed despite been inability of Labour Party members to offer any principled lead.

Indeed right wingers on And dispute by • э рау drivers who were respon- sible tor transporting cice- tric cable to Phoenix Park continued so near the visit that special generators nad to be brought in. dispute with the electricity supply board was only settled to discuss with the seeking the workers the showed Pope union bureaucrats. impact on the republicans Whatever capitalisi ClIC of the political climate papers say about the Pope's created around conscious v message of anti-violence, the the Papal visit, the IRA has was unable to fact that he clearly continued with the specify who he was talking war. the lies about "small groups Minute details of gunmen". The pages of Irish news- If the republican move- had no popular papers in the period before ment really the visit were littered with support, and it indeed there was not scale war the most minute details of the preparations being made Ireland today, the Pope there would have been no the

—TOT

TOOd to difficulty in the Pope would eat at each meal, out that the enemy excited report the ine 1n Irish Press that the Italian was the IRA. that his speech taking great interest •he tact papers all violence and attacked in the torthcoming visit had reported the collapse of one blamed politicians for allow- ing the condition to develop the tents Phoenix Park which brought about not lost The were preparations U1. Enoch Powell, who said that however marred bv the class which refused to drawing the connection struggle, between violence and social lie down despite the Pope's conditions visit. "dangerous" Workers Limerick Indeed it is dangerous for complained that their employers were insisting the capitalists whose decay- that the day off for the visit ing, brutal system of oppres- should without sion is the root of violence.

pay. Lynch crackdown Fein (who visional Sinn asked for of 'clarification' his jeft

DOSITION

nave Ene cous lican workers the north The object visit was to strengtnen ail Ene most reactionary forces Ireland-the Church and the Lynch government in the south Grass Army in Ine North. leadership revolutionary between the fight against the women and the upnolaing reaction South and the anti-imperialist struggle in the North. The nationalists of Sinn Fein have done such thing Oldfield The military agreement that the example under agreed obviates the need for thi 70% of their British Army to make its well surveillance for and lives will now have a watch kept on them every moment of their •emonstrates

TOT

day. Oldfield to have imperialism there can be no territorial rights for any part of responsibility for breaking down 'misunderstandings' between the police and the army. The overflying helicopters, which will be used not to chase coming in measures the wake of the Pope's visit to spY SuSOeCTS. Ine pill that the bitter border regie sy the outh, tre Ireland, visible symbol The rose Was relationshio between the vassa Sweeten By failing to state in the South and British denounce the imperialism. Pope's visit the IRA and Pro. the Action Committee have defeated by the right wing, been great trouble who argued that this "might the sub- upset the headmistress"!

TONIECE

mitting of a petition to the Nor has a suggestion of a Lancashire County Counci demonstration outside the Education Committee last education offices 10 COl month, accompanied by been acted upon. only a token demonstration.

But Labour for councillors

HOUSE

from demonstration outside the back not threatened nursery class at tub-thumping speeches the Mount Pleasant Infant denouncing the closure and School, calling for support "the fight IsIsung from other local nurseries, must be kept up" Playgroups and from loca Such rhetoric is of little use if not backed up by con- trade unionists, was

PRESS

GANG

Pope, The the Labour There was a purpose in this hysteria Party organised mass conference and the role of the pres Ireland have ‹annouds taken out a was actually secondary to the virtual monopoly on what role of television). It was as if the media had passes for news and opinion pages in the press for the ceciceo to stoo warmine tor In second coming and organise it past three weeks. themserves. The orgy of idolatry which filled the the news Subtle baues ol papers Cane turned nareened among reporters into In fact a connecting line can stumbling Pope flatterers •e orawn toroven an unree suo Peppe bad rene case on te not just an interiude in the day to day cacophony. Ireland more subtle in the case ot the Labou ParAll the papers which most ever unitie abOU LIlt Labour Party discovered that they had its best interests at neaTE The Daily Mail blew Frank Chappell up into a hero of sanity against a week ot lunacy but orominenı amonast int fears of what might happen at Brighton the fear that the Vva. call or some kine or tooes our position Ireland might actually be carried. After the public capitulation of the vast majority of lefts' to pro-imperialist the position reter in tne oress was enormous.

bluring point of deliberately fact that there had the been a rosa vote doast me Lynch leadership amongst constituency delegates. Send us a letter, putting your views on the articles in Socialist Press, on the struggles in your union or district, , or on any topic you Write to: Socialist Press, feel is important. 31, Dartmouth Park Hill, London NW5 1HR.

I OXFORDSL

calls for action that cele can involve the mass sup- port of parents, teachers, and other local trade union- ists in the fight against the cuts. As the mass movement against the Tories, grows leaders Labour be must judged by what they do, not by what they say. Yours fraternally EJ Accrington SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 10 October 1979

TROOPS OUT

NOW!

IRELAND

three subjects where came together was in the agree Britair ment reached between and the Southern government over security measures. The Pope had paid off, and Ent reve ior Brighton had not ruffled it.

• With delight headlines and about M' and 'Smiley the pres cio its best to turn the arIm ruthlessness Sir Maurice Oldfield into charismatic jingo

ISM

It followed with up sudden praise for the previously hated Lynch government. "Allies Against Terror" was the gloating headline in the Express Not enough But just case anyone zhouont Inat Inis _new crack don was for one pe tites Fleet Street, Observe. •Wa. nanc demand more and harsher "What is needed and in order of Cono preterence, write. Cruise O 'Brien 'is: largi increase in the Garda Specia Branch men to face trial in the. North" lyes, "trial" is what the Observer "RUC men present calls It at interogations." It would be simpler really to cance une •outner slatt impose direct rule there too!

Oxford nursery campaigners lobby Tory Minister Carlisle

Tribune Group welcome for Foot SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 10 October 1879 Renationalisation call in place of anti-Tory action In a decision that out- going Party chairman Frank Allaun singled out for particular attention in his the summing up speech, Conference called Labour on a future Labour govern- ment to renationalise with- out compensation sections of publicly-owned

SOLU

assets sold off by the Tories.

The motion, moved by Clive Jenkins on Gena TOTAN vas openly intended as a mean: f frightening off potential City investors. Boardrooms Ae Labour NEC member and

ASTMS

chairman Doug Hoyle declared: "I want this to be the talking over lunch in the City next few boardrooms tor the will talking point, and no days. the "'t would be very butt ot a tew

GOUDE

imprudent and foolish invest- urbane jokes stockbrokers' In cocktail parties- speculators used -as ment insurance or pension funds to and bankers weigh up the slim these stocks." chances of a Labour leadership enacting such a policy while in There is indeed little doubt the conference policy will form covertoL, Warmed-over policies Still more abstract talk of socialist policies was offered up the success- ful motion which reaffirmed the Party's commitment to "Clause 4 socialism". And reco ution called on the NEC to draw up a socialist Transtormation

SOCC

including measures: 'to take into public control anosE Jo•ustHes when ard vital to the national economy and extend public ownership democre contol ate management the major monopolies and financial insti- tutions. Expand NEB "socialist" polies which this "socialist pro- programme however is apparently to include would leave the expansion The intact tor ine toreseedole Tuture.

sole function is to pump In other words, under a thin state finance into ailing sections of

NUPE

once orivate Inoustry. assist rationalisation, speed up and main ine warme over endans increased exploitation. of Labour's reactionary 1974-79 of included policies class

ASO

Governer "compulsory planning agree- collaboration and aid to private ments" industry. The defeat of the right from the most eloquent suppor- wing in the main conference ter ot every betrayal or ine last Labour government-Deputy Brighton did little Leader Michael Foot. nothing to alter the mood did not COUrSe good fellowship which embark on the hopeless task of defending Callaghan gang, dominated the meeting but confined himself to attack- organised by Tribune at the ing the Tories and telling Brighton Dome on the even- Wedgewood Benn, (who shared the with him) ing of Wednesday "grow up".. October. Double think Chairman of the meeting and Tribune • editor Richard every Clements began characteristical- No cout he can ne confidence that Benn will, reminding Tne meeting good time, grow his how 'unsectarian' they were.

Just to show this he allowed Stature betrayal. a lengthy diatribe trom Barbara Benn himself declared that hastie

LOT

the real division in the confer- fame) about how she is working order he inside the right-but between the mass == framework media and the delegates! destroy it". There were clearly few in the sowed nine encod in a series of demagogic attacks nai wno die not goreo wro In: and on the BBC the press heckler who shouted Why don't quite winere •esoriocol out! -meaning not only correctly, 'hostility • out of the European Parliament labour that but also of the meeting. movement nothing short of a scandal".

Mr. Another collid The only vague commitment was the contribution he allowed 'ne mete to senion wes 8.s0тe.

treform socialist leadership pointed y into revolutionary conuscale collars voorby even the succa moon instructing a future government put all conference into practice al thie time" cannot alter since for a reformist leader there is never an "opportune time" ¡expropriate the capitalist class!

Reality The resolution's only opponent point out the harsh reality that the policy would bring a Labour government into: ''A massive confrontation of unparallelled ferocity with entire British business sector". There is of course no way that any of the existing Labou eaders would engage in such d confrontation. Allaun Indeed Callaghan has not yet With without a few been criticised by even a single for the one of Labour's 'left' for his constitutional defeats of leadership, statement Party brazer there is no way a ritualistic con.

demn the fascionary for, mass working ference decision is going to turn reactionary party steeped class government! tary and gradual And of course neither Clive collaboration *the resolution relation I nationalisation was indicated by the fact that it was supported by the NEC, while the previous dav in his , set-piece speech Benr I on behalf the motion seeking to commit the Party to the nation WorKers cono i of the largest 200 monopolies.

Though carried all of the woodenness of with t the 'Militant' group twas a specific call on the leadership to specific policies when government. In line with Benn's urging it was firmly rejected by The conference made a further gesture Opposing nationalisation-Benn carrying unanimously resolution calling for a cam- 'left" certain garnish the vicious to repeal after owned sonal talk ot "national a state-ownec black youth corporation including tne arug pedistrot , but yet again the pros- There was a tactful silence persuading pects Labour on the TrOm plaigorm Labour government's record profitable pharmaceutical giants of supervising an increase in confrontation with the 'our ane hase of sus police harassment are, at best, remote. Indeed the real content of ment that he was less concerned about 'entrism In une Phose the had on sine ceased Party than with 'exitism' any nine the labour movement has stood.

be seen remains whether this will mean that in the future Benn and his the NEC will be colleagues on nelo to craneno aooedis doalnst the witch-hunting left by right wing wingers their appeals come through. Benn compared the 'consti- within the tutional wrangles' Tarti improbably to great battles of past like of the Chartists and the Sufragettes.

eric newer. least, was much more honest. Despite the conference verones or ine week. they were only at the beginning lof a long, hard battle those assembled on the Tribune plat- of this (form, the truth state- iment istrated!

LABOUR

PARTY

Jenkins nor UPw leader Tom (who also strongly backed the renationalisation spective for workers who fight defeat the Tory actior Hies bring down Thatcher. Yet it is only on the basis of Facing both ways on the CUtS Kinnock Foot Lage y such action, the mobilisation of Ine Tul stronotn or the workino class, that conditions can be created to force through renat- com sense tion and remove those Labour leaders who obstruct such a standing prolonged ovation and extensive press applause for a demagogic the education

SOCENT

cuts by Neil Kinnock could not disguise the bankruptcy of Labour's policies Though Kinnock-whost popularity in the con- stituencies closely rivals benn s-ottered inTe eloquent denunciation of the Tories "barbarian assault" or education caucationd genocide the Party had voted in advance to towel to local authority spending cuts. Councillors on A unanimous programme

TO I

acticatior be motion immediately set next takes office" included votes from of Labour dozens councilors bustly engaged ever now in carrying out Tory spend- ing cuts in their own areas! first day o the conterence nad seen a carc vote throw out demands for all Labour councils to flatly refuse •not me us. one ol full to trade union support action against the industrial

CUTES

Instead it, passed a vague call "massive and vigorous" for members, while others carried out some party in town 'Nal meeting. actuall schools, nurseries and social services, and others, in union with ther oTTIceS condorate and hold back from the neces.

, sary strike action. Covered over this In context Kinnock's impassioned oratory served the necessary function of covering the total Party's before the Tory offensive

TOD

and offering the eternal "jam in place tomorrow' • of actior today As • the Tory press pointed out, such a skilled performanc EnterTas T081 "comrade Kinnock is cut out for a high.

flying career the cersals. A lery alscussion on une planned of closure steel- works at Corby and Shotton gave room for set-piece dis plays of by MPs. oratory But amid all the arm-waving was a virulent streak of nat- ionalism: every speaker en- dorsed the reactionary call for import controls, in a bid to foist the unemployment 'foreign' steelworkers

GLIO

overseas.

Portugal: 1974-76: Page 6 SWP leader Barnes Our criticisms от Ine SWP's positions in Portugal in 1975 do not imov that we support the very differ- ent positions taken by the International Maloritv en- dency and summarised In the document In Defence of the Portuguese Revolu- tion' by E. Mandel, P. Frank and L. Maitan. This document, and the positions of the IMT in Portugal, far away from Programme as Ene # ransitional Those on the svr While the SWP saw the exist- leaders the ing reformist the rights of the • cerenders masses', sought. the ano thought they had found accept- within the officer's corps of the bourgers Carvalho The IMT's position in rela-

TION

Talking COPCON chief Carvalho is one of the clearest instances of their tanure to beect amme lor tad independence the working and their search for class soontonesy sonal alou working class and even anti working class leadership for the 'revolution' emerged from the Mandel, Frank, docu- Mantan and appeared its ment, LCI's extreme

TONNA

(International Communist League's) participation

(FUP),

rooliar United rront is a clear and conscious support for the section bourgeois army ornicers, undel Carvalho. The

IMT

failed at every to analyse events in Portu- Turn basis The The CASS forces involved. Thus the Armed Forces Movement (or rather, the cavanno concalves Wille was analysed and later lungede C subjectively 'left', and the lett groups as opposed USFI XIth WORLD

CONGRESS

Part Three two faces of opportunist adaptation IMT leader Mandel actually supported the colic following by Michaloux. in the right -which in mid pursued line which 1975 included the Socialist Inprecor: and the left Party "In Portugal the governmen Ene same the Enev groups with the ArIV. ta power is vaciliatino wore ine refused to give a class definition The leaders supported of the and file is rank The SWP's claim continued rule by a section of shape It already has a slate. LakHu.. the bourgeois army in 1975, not inal i was a mintery orator name. the reodie sassembires only against any 'Portuguese which will elect National ship was rejected only on the superficial grounds that Portuga Kornilov but also against Assembly of Workers and demand for an SP/ČP govern Soldiers. The National Assembly 'the freest country in the was world'. Peasants Cover Work. Workers' and They raised no demand for a break of workers' organisations Perspective missing with the AFM What need party? they saw On the contrary, the AFM as being the midwife With the class perspective If everything was so assured missine TrOM Inel analytla or soviet power waic ne v!

what need could there tool-box, followed that appeared to regard as virtually Trotskyist Trotskyism was missing from an immediately realizable objec possibly be revolutionary party! vvnat need their political line Live was there for the Transitional They did not explicitly make fiahtina for the instead Programme? independence of the working the immediate demand 'All This inexorable advance tow- to the workers' commis- class through presenting ards soviet power was helped, cemanos welch nave sions peoples assemories according the IMT, by to united workers against represen- but they came close to it by an tatives of the bourgeoisie (such of the Guide Document passed on ‹ exaggeration and through such July by the Arm assembly Ine armys dudinst trich dual Dowel According to Michaloux: own collaborationist leaders, the idealistic statements "The document" 'guide and incorporate encourages the development of the self-organisation workers in the advance relation Action Plan of the Revolution.

ary Council." The

IMT

therefore, were, more than ready to accept an unelected front regime which said, had produced the trees! today' as a stepping-stone tow- ards 'soviet power' The LCI participated in the 10,000 strong demonstration of July 16 whose slogans main included Unity of Workers with the AMond Die wing the and 'Dissolution of the

CONSULUCT

Assemove purely sectarian anti-SP demand). Infamous front These positions taken by the

IMT

leadership led directly of thi

LUT

Carvalho infamous Popular Unity Front, The United Secretariat of the Fourth International (USFI) is undoubtedly the largest and widely known of the currents that have emerged from the post- war crisis of the Trotskyist movement. With thousands of members and sympathising rections in cozens or countries it is viewed by many militants Fourth Trotskyist worker Socialic League does not share this view.

We see the USFI as a movement key questions from the method for- positions and put ware gramme on which the Fourth International founded was in which the LCI joined various left groups and the Stalinists of the they endorsed The accord supported ine anti-workin cias: 5th Provisional Government Goncalves, the under passed by the AFM • DocumenT assembly, and the concept uf a military people's government The IMT attempted to deny parentate o to uttery unorn cipled move; but the family resemblance unfortunately IS, mistakead t hot this artel the min- this which ciple pact was based Class condoor ationist objectives. It questioned only the tactics. The LCI made a bloc with working class parties... there Is no principled ground on which object that. It does not represent crossing class wuGs important tning whether the objectives and plat- torm of the bloc are correct or not. We bolieve they whe noti leadership were. believed they difference tactics not • he policies which resultec in the signing of the FUP (which , with the departure later became the *Hevolutionary Unity Front" (FUR) are justi- ied by the IMT as an example •i ine cerence outne rortudges Kerensky (Carvalho) against the Portuguese Kornilov (Spinola, euci

SOCIALIST PRES

We know, of course, that th main crousine. lay claim to the title of "Fourt International" are both no substantiany THal Both of tham-the Healyi ''International Committee' by • whri and "Organising Committee for t the Fourt Reconstruction (run hol political positions as bad or t than the USF on man themselv the wracked inke internal crisis. Disorientation But the bankruptcy of the rivals OUTi ew neare ment recognising in

USFI

the exclusive continuit Trotskyist movemen Centrists marching behind the banner of the Un Of course, the fight agains Spinolist reaction was part of fight of working clas against the capitalist class Trotskvists naturally had ti be in the vanguard of that fight class character was that th altered Ene lact 'Portuguese Kerenskys migh opportunistically decide to take the side of the masses on partic War occasions

FUP/FUR

The like the however, policy white•s base on different position-it is an agree which working the

COT

defence of the Kerenskys.

Class collaborationist This is an entirely different the Keren matter skys to fight alongside then That this class collaboration ist position was not abandoned within the IMT despite criticism seer ane set-criticism from the position taken in th Presidential in Jun elections leading members the IMT publicly argued that i might or wolle

I CONTECT

vote for the "left' bourgeoi military candidate Carvalho, a opposed to the CP candidat Pat the differences between th two main USFi factions on the question of Portugal became a so sharp that one

SWI

imes spokesman said that they

Wednesday 10 October 1979 SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 10 October 1979 whose post-war period has been straddled by a leadership which characterised by profound polit- -Or weaknes as ara ical and a con- divisions-is definitely interna- tinuing series of incomplete and tionally based virtue of opportunist splits and fusions.

The USFI makes a The forthcoming Xith World the tact that Congress of the USFI is however currents holding completely political important event. IT OTTerS GoOsing Marxists the opportunity assessing in more detail the practice can exist side-by-side- differences even when such crisis which characterised has

SUCI

Stratory the existence since its tactics in Portugal 1974-6, the formation in 1963. Vietnamese invasion of Kam- of the and the analysis easy task. Unlike the IC and the Sane insta recime in Nicarasud

USFI

is the reach a level where rival USFI factions find themselves poten. opposite of a politically actually opposite grouping consisting Ifthic Tially sattelite grouped garrettes round a national-based party.

denouncing the line adopted by 'comrades". their own Katner the vor sa celler.

ately heterogeneous

USFI

neetore Is no fixed entity: it is a sum total of consciously created divergent factional Dodde widely varying positions, analysis and practice, continually

SITT

ane

REMOS

IR Popular Front in support of the Fifth Provisional Government close to finding themselves on the governmental slogans adopted by the USFI factions in opposite sides of the barricades 1975. are more STruCk. now• Crucial by the underlying similar- ever, •ne sur usually called tor ¡ties between their methods an SP/CP government based on the so-called Constituent Both of them tailed to put Torwara a programme to centrai- Assem DIv ise and unify the independent Reformist struggles of the working class.

anIS was because

OOTA

them at crucial moments looked This reformist position towards a section of the bour- the that contained workine class s main task was workers' movement to lead the build bourgeois democracy. No fight for socialism. mention at this stage was made Their methods in each case soviet lyc excel scathingly dismiss the ret ected not the strenoth and upsurge of the working existing ones as pitifully weak. of but the pressure There even a VVd sectors ou une deny when the Vr S geoisie. reached its zenith when it called Basing themselves not on the SP government an thus to toster division: Class but oroletariat ine cosmetic the workine cass. 'left' face of social democracy sions in its reactionary social democratic leaders or a 'progressive' military junta, The argued that

IMT

late crass exponents of spontaneity.

up to April 197b the call tor an

SP/CP

government was correct it conspicuousty tailec to make it at the time) but that after that date (when, incident- Tor this reason Inevot failed to recognise the combined had ally tne nature of the tasks which faced whelmingly voted Tor The and the SP in the constituent Ine working class-tne detence of veinent aine extension st 'suicidal'. elections) *it became extension was not sulcica seemed, was to support for th those towards the old forms of band gains, resistance time being a left' AFM govern partism and the fight to destroy ment the new 'more beneficent' vari- help build soviets which could in the immediate future and replace them with a clic workers covernment This failure was clear from This position a good American member switch position in response to Latin sympathising and the surface develooments in the doctor with class struggle. the SWP and the LTF and, led Untenable by Nahuel Moreno's Argentinian Bolshevik Toraged At its Tenth World Congress Tendency. in 1974 the main factions were The growing challenge from these forces, combined with the politically supering he foris "orthodox", IMT's guerrillaist opportunist of 1969 and 1974,

HOSIONS

both Workers Party, pressured and tne inter. euro ban Majority Tendency

SWP

loaders into a hasty of i factions and the clinging the ultra-leftist to "united" of a ano querrulast schema oT tue Tornation 18W leadership prior Ustis turopean secretariat But the untenable positions Congress. taken by both the LTF and the Omissions events and the Angolan war led to › a sharp re- which was new majority alignment of torce:

WOVE

leadership that drafted the five snapes the coming xin Congress. main documents tabled for the Congress. manifest The the warned against. example amalgam adaptation to and wur caulidts "The which has been the Torces the USFI and flexible, immediate struggle of the

MOSE

form. sition. capable the puttient into given organs

OUTTING

workers •ower wAC! ugal 'workers' committees under covets which Ine aurelance retor mine military cers. government Second, 'soviets' slogans of (bourgeois) to expose far bourgeoisie. again had trom of govern wanna to no elected weapon deceiving were Nothing weapon woul nave support of alternative What were une Germany saving the ding bourgeoisie deceiving the should have that Revolution

TONIES.

the IMT the central task revolutionary socialists encourage the was "The of Russia • a section the proleta- can, by had to to this. correct arrected This task The rea. draw behind Trotskyists, fling the front lead masses the socialism. any democracy CASe These results were obtained course, such party the Soviets to simply could be Ene masses towards the gains the Soviets maintaining tner miseders to the up power and conquest even Chinese pp

NOT

188) the soviets, even above "soviets' parties excl- failure to reconcile past political disagreements is demonstrated the pattern of conspicuou omissions and in the documents. evasions The Bolshevik Tendency has in the meantime declared itself: Faction dedicated to the of what calls removal "un current ana an orierole, noc at the hese • USFI leaders for thei part have mounted vicious public attacks Simon on Brigade Bolivar organised for intervention the Nicaraguan revolution. • as ti ¿tacks do so tar endorse the action of the FSLN leaders in expelling members of Increasingly language

THA

used in these attacks is that Militant soldiers from the RAL 1 regiment marching through Lisbon in a mass demonstration uded from became a was insistence on Wvd. could The comoromised the and

•OTA

programmatic independence an adequate enough Given that the great most barts Ene country remained to the main workers continued for Cal govern. ment, but which was answerable the developing Constituent which was witn was an applica- ThIS tIOn ramme. concrete recoonisco combined nature Portu working class. ence these demands, along with demands would have been seen represent alternative arrection the and reformist leaders and by of including wal tick We do that build a revolutionary leadership, even given the enormous oppor- Page 7 appropriate to split rather debate trial polltics lesser threat MUci seen in the statements produced Tendency ged, with forces in a numbe errors" of the existing USFI leadership The USFI in short is a move.

ment wracked by the most profound internal crisis and contradictions. and its problems we can. not only better the grasp problems within it but also pin.

clarity is essential in the struggle reconstruct the Fourth Intor fallend international centre for the Trotskyist world party of socialist revolution.

of Caetano group could have done without in man your comrades ships then what were sued lines bringing them being TO , in our view grow from brings tendency the masses lovaros be forces (Castro. and the AFM) dominate the workers' states and Since united ugal fused (though revolution but Bolshevik the raction or Dass ditterences such musi Ciscussca d leadership. Continued next week

MARXISM AND

Page 8 Words like culture, culti-' vated, civilised, civilisation- not to speak of beauty, elegance, harmony have become so contaminated by bourgeois ideology as to be almost unusable. This the marct oroblem which proposing and "Marxism Write dool Culture' faces. The second problem is that culture s a decoy ambicuous term. It can mean, for example, the valued art-works and the society.

DUCESSE.

producing, distributing and 'consuming' these. Or it can mean nothing less Tan a see noe wor as when one speaks 'Soviet culture. Both of these definitions are in fact ideological. Elitist The first is narrowly elitist, class- oroduct society: it includes Raphael in culture, but not rugby league. ine secone is so Dodo as to be meaningless: by including all activities in culture (political, ideological, cconomic ane veniently collapses together distinct social practices into one vague whole. i culture covers everytning, then it clearly means nothing- its only opposite is Nature.

I nis, indeed, is the position known to Marxism as 'cultural- ism*, which of grants the Marx ano brothers equal status. More usefully, culture can be seen as a ser or socia practices usually symbolising certain sig- nifieant meanings values, which marked Mainly ov primarily non-functional anetr Nature. Saxophone Such a definition should be handled with

EMI

care: find producing records very functional indeed.

But difference between saxoonone and blowing your nose, at least with the more expert practition- OT Ene ano EnIs difference which is at stake in defining "culture' follows this that from culture is more than a matter ol the arts: reading Goethe and

CULTURE

Marx Trotsky Lenin optional or the culmination of man's art an extra, existence? Should struggle for designed It be to serve a or directed towards 'higher', 'spiritual' and practical purpose, abstract values? What interest has the working class in under- standing and mastering the art and culture of the capitalist class? TERRY EAGLETON examines the problems of arriving at a materialist understanding of culture.

keeping goldfish are both, in know that its 'charm' will the Futurists' in their narrow this sense, cultural activities.

indeed be eternal? pragmatism. follows that there is It also Indeed it is remarkable how activity car JUSt any become cultural, sotany part of has been the ario of tenacious always, eternally, cultural, anc culture can become a centre of bourgeois ideology over the kind which is always whole Marxist history ideological struggle Culture is part of the class- Cultura Theory ano An object may be a cultural struggle. This does not necessari- Engels themselves laid the basis artefact for one historical epoch theory of culture, but their list materialist genuinely for another: mean that une culture which IV0| 'reflects' one class's experience •ouoTTUI ThaT une ancient enters into conflict occasional writings about an Greeks regarded the Parthenon remained for the most part culture which 'reflects' 61IC as 'art' in the sense that we do conventionally Hegelian experience of another class.

Russian I ne

VISI

ma or Keeping goldfish in order to Chamber music Marxist Georgi art-theorist profit their sale Plekhanov, cobbled together his For one thing, culture does • of cultural Tne sense theory main Keepin them for couns not Class con courteo! oleolooles what counts helps time positivism and 'cultural' is socially and histori- fICU constitute it. Kantianism. cally relative, so is what counts And though certain cultural Even Lenin himself admitted as 'great' culture. practices are directly related to to being something of a conser- enough histori- Given a deer (chamber cultural matters, and music vative future transtormation anu tne uoer middle class. Tor svan calle TO society may find Shakespeare they still remain experimental art. quite irrelevant, which area of class-contention Trotsky, of the greatest Cast ТО 0Є Beethoven Marxist cultural theorists of all.

and become no more valuable of the bourgeoisie, still resorts to idealist terms like une orooucti than Bruce Forsyth. but its 'use value isn't necessari- and confined to asKs nis introouc that class. It can closely supported the leading why Tion The arunorisse Tought tor-wrested from thi Let cobositon SooKesman or ancient Greek art retains ruling class, and given a meaning : Voronsky, who believed 'eternal charm. But who Is within the revolutionary such things as the 'essence o movement. ocauty Such a Beethoven would not 'the same' Beethoven as the Classless bourgeoisie's: culture without being appropriated The period after the Transtormed Bolshevik revolution was one of Every social class, every fierce contention over culture, historical re-invents the posing questions of vital impor art-works it receives for its own tance to revolutionaries today.

purposes. Should the aim be to build a might turn out that proletarian culture. or to StrIKE Beethoven. or onakespeare directiv tor the cassless CITI could not be appropriated of socialism? Should art be seen this way-that they had nothing as a retlection' of given reality revolutionary •i as an instrument to: orolo a case Caes new reality, a material force of could safely be consigned Indy which could organ- to the museum. ise a now conse ousness: Eternal condemned decadent individualism, celebrated But the point is to find out cultura in practice-not to presume. like political revolution? What Georg Lukacs, that bourgeois attitude should be assumed to culture will continue to be taki society: should it be discarded, the ultra-leftist line of some of integrated, the Russian Futurist artists and dow far should art be 'party.

dogmaticaily End •Tracy slogan 'Burn Raphael!' Police the individual it f Both these attitudes, should artist fact, reflect bourgeois views Luckacs Should strictly culture: Luckacs sin its idealism, Do works of art have an 'eternal' quality?

functiona part improvement of material life, or should it still be seen as an end in itselt! Does art reproduce ideology or does it transcend it-should it realistically reflect the actual, or romantically potential the social future he With the tightening grip Stalininsm in the Soviet Union, Elle cultul al withered and died. At the first Soviet Writers' of Congress 1934 Stalin's Zhdanov cultural nenchman propagated the bankrupt doctrine of 'socialist and put paid to a whole era of rich cultural debate. "The of the art Stalinist period" Trotsky write. remain as the frankest express.

ion of the profound decline of the proletarian revolution" Georg Lukacs, the 'greatest' Marxist art-theorist the century. become Ene brainist watchdog culture denouncing bourgeois decadence InSiStinu contmutts between bouroeois realism and writing and thus cultura the Popular Frontism o the political sphere. Left Front What was men bo was moment so-calec the 1920s-those Bolshevik (Futurists, artists Constructi- ted that what was needed for revolutionary culture was more untan ust a change in me aed logical contents of art. What needed, they argued, was a revolution in the Means

COUCTO

themselves which would take of their writers and artists out factories, farms and workshops, to harness : their talents to the needs of the revolution It was not, they claimed, just a matter tor the the 'line overturning ouestior The existing social relations between artistic producers, distributors, readers ano quotences production create new art-forms. Pioneering work If that Soviet tradition was crushed by Stalinism, it lingered Tine German LItt 1930s, with the pioneering work the theatre director Erwin critic (Marxis Walter Benjamin, and the play.

wright Bertolt Brecht. in thi tradition of the socialist theatre agit-prop, movement deeply deformed Howeve _content strived with its 300 European •SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 10 October 19.79 groups in the 1930s to destroy the social relations of artists and established by. geois theatre. Such movements followed in the great Ta Ton 'OT Tine Bolshevik theatre director Meyerhold, , who celebrated the InTe anniverson taking Bolshevik revolution by over a whole town and produ cing 15,000 cast, real guns and a rea battleship Meyerhold was destroyed by Stalinism-no surerisintely days culture because in those actually had an impact. It is not for nothing that the Nazis were extremely interestec hiring the talents of the German Communist Party ineatre arrector, riscator Marxist cultural theory has become a rather less politi that nevertheless has its Cuter! importance for revolutionaries For culture is one way in which individuals class

SOCCE

To mee revolution is therefore central to Socialism concerns not only new production Tine economy but of a new indivi. dual; and culture is a peculiarly effective form of shaping such individuals. It engages with the human senses unemse vest t is entwineo perception; Molellate and carries ideological positions straight to the nervous system.

Men and volley • nOL culture alone COUrSe Far from it. Yet the assertion of Marxism is that in the end they will UnCe reteased TrON oppression of labour, men and women will be able to live and 'surplus MOVi existence we now call 'culture than of the realm mater a necessity Cultural revolution has rightly subordinate place within TalE revolutionar movement a a whole. But in the end-in the very end-culture is what it is ali about Stalin

Fascist thieves fall out SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 10 October 1979 By Ernie Stubbins The much publicised internal warfare of the National Front has taken a dramatic new with turn, an open statement in the NF's monthly journal Spear- head about a fight for of Great control the Eastern Street head- quarters building 'Excal- Kavanagh Fountaine ibur House'. This is particularly ironic The faction around Paul Kavanagh, who was because, in a recent series of Deputy Chairman supposed to have dealt with Spearhead, Fountaine. which seems to

TACIS

Tyndall argued strongly for the arrangements for setting base itself on common up the property company. of Martin Webster- the NF to concentrate on hatred As a result, the majority of building a strong basis the NF's 'National Activities faction has gone onto the material assets-buildings, Organiser' appear have offensive. social clubs, publications found a crucial weakness in Excalibur "The Club On July 29 the Director- the Front's constitution.

and ate removed three trustees No control model for the opening from the property eom- Fountaine: including similar clubs in pany, CalY

LOWII

NF Fuhrer John Tyndall and city in Britain", he former NF President J. Harison-Broadley. nas discoverca, co Is diaril.

NF has no legal How bitter then, to have On the Direc- that the August 5 control over the property to admit in September that torate demanded the agree- the Excalibur Club had companv set up to run tne ment of the minontv to the headquarters and the chain served an injunction against of NF ownership principle of NF premises across him. of Excalibur House-isolat- This confusing state of Kavanagh country which is one of his ing Fountaine, cherished dreams. affairs is blamed upon one and two of their supporters.

How sate are UK atom tests? We are not told either, about Ine tem•er crure nises. Authority recently published its The final series of tests are what safety precautions were supposed to show that the reac- taken to protect : the population annual report, describing a series a disastrous experimonts are

LOT

tne intended demonstrate the coolant pump таниге от exoerimental taure safety of the fast reactor-the system. Many workers will consider of key British capitalism's But even the UKAEA admits that the secret practice strategy for cheao eneray.

conouctine pro-nuclear will at a fraction of the normal out- further consequence of rising lobby be greatly encouraged by these the prototype fast fuel prices, pushing the Govern put level of results when they press for the ment over lastrut o nacical Obviously these experiments development programme. Tne Comercial demonstration model of the fast will have to be studied in much The risks major associated breeder. with these types of tests call for greater aetan betore making a of policy on reactors, but policy 'of workers' control seres excerments fast reported by the UKAEA is quite over the whole nuclear industry there are important questions to alarming, testing various De ske doce cor ne anos sater aspects in partic of breakdown at the Dounreav experiments themselves ula The crucial decisions research establishment. What the UKAEA failed to must It claimed, for example rebort is usu now much eamooe •e cacao n me nanos or clec that UKAEA has demonstrated would result from a failure of any of these tests, , and how they pathetic scientists, That ir is possibe tor The outo sodium coolant to come into about calculating the odds unimpede@ informatior decos. contact with the nuclear between both commerdar relevant benefits of a successful outcome financial and scientific.

witt Tcacton which many scientists expected.

and the horrifying risks of a.

Only on basis can this the

UKAEA

also state that in failure Workine Cess • arow nuclea the overheating tests, We are not told who has the projects to proceed. Sysicil away. power to authorise these tests •oes not ruim into ever Newham Council has voted acelerating activity, but auto- and on what basis of informa- to support a petition to Parlia- matically slows itself down as •on ter do so. lines and sidings through Strat- ford, East London, for the transport of spent nuclear fuel.

D' Yon THINK The waste fuel is en route from power stations various of Southern

BERT'S ALL

parts Engiand 'Windscale for treatment. When

RIGHT IN

local residents concerned, councitfors began

THERE?

Tame powers control nuclear traffic. amoragd eventualv that, of despite confusing mass regulations and safety standards neither British nuclear energy authorities ware under any obligation to consult intorm about the transport of nuclesr wastel dacisions the lives of possibly thousand of people are being made with democratically electec Webster By August 24 they had passed of confidence in Kavanagh. It seems that, temporar- Webster find themselves on least, Tyndall and the same side the Many against Webster are based on the hatred of gays by many fascists, and there evidence that the British Movement is intervening on this basis in the NF faction fight. tecent issue of the BM's paper 'British Patriot' ottered anti-Webster groups in the NF. 'Master race' flunks test The August issue of the National Front's journal Spearhead con- tained an extremely dis- tasteful article on Charles Darwin (No. 3 a series 'Great in on British Racialists'), seek- ing to attribute some of the NF's racialist views Darwin in his book to 'The Descent of Man'. The clumsiness of the attempt speaks volumes for the dismal intellectual level prevailing in the NF. tries to foist upon Darwin of theory Carl Vogt, that different human Lava were descended from differ- ent ancestral species. Volume In fact, as the author himself Vogt's 20l0TAS of lectures volume was translated into English in "The Descent of 1864 and Man' not published was until 1871. The author claims that Darwin's book refers con- stantly' to Vogt's work There are fact references in a total of 1031 pages (in the 1906 London edition). nearly 40 authors to whom Darwin refers more frequently. Iti we replying to a serious scientific . contribu- tion we would not stoop to point out that the author's reference Vogt to springs that. Vogt's from, the fact mamo appoais un pago une of Darwin's book this case, however, it Fascists hoist Union Jack arainst Troops Out demonstration Certainly the BM appears to have made some growth among and skannedes lumpen elements, at the expense of the NF. However, even in the BM factional there are problems. Former BM leader Colin Jordan continues his endless search I01 ways lu Luscal Michael McLauehlin. and other BM organisers nave been recently exposed having joined the tiny SS Wotan grouping. the Obviously

CIISIS

the British extreme and fascist right the caused bi General Election appears that the author has read page one and no more of Darwin's book. If he had persevered as far as Chapter VII he would Darwin have found that Vogt's explicitly rejects view thus: 'Those naturalists who admit the principle 'evolution . will feel no all the races of doubt that ale descended from a single primitive stock." The fascist writer's ignor- ance is not confined sto Darwin but extends also to 'his adopted favourite, Vogt.

Vogt was in fact active in the German revolutionary 1847-9, and from his removed professorship after the victory of reaction. Exiled in Geneva for some ycals no later came to support. : Haeckel, another Page 9 pO beginning to go very deep It will go further under the pressure of continuing «econome debesson This does not mean that the • danger from fascist organisations has passed, far from it-as BM attacks the Person: Unknown benefit show increasingly clear that the fascists are turning to physical attacks on left wing events and there is an for need creating seriously organised workers defence forces in threatened and the labour movement. theory Members of the NF's 'master race"?

biologist radical ana reformer in the 1870s. There is little doubt that 'although he was no socialist and his philosophy was the crudest form of materialism (Engels scathing him in Anti- reference Duhring), the fascists would have been far from approv- ing of Vogt's views had they made any effort them. a closing paragraph the fascist writer makes éome extravagant claims for "Social Darwinism' and its descendant "Sociology' which will have to be dealt with elsewhere. By Ernie Stubbins

Page 10

INDUSTRIAL

Fulham cuts: work-in continues The occupation at Fulham Baths is contin- occupation uing against local plans outwards by building to close it down. porting action of The "Save our Baths

ULLULS

Campaign"

(SOB),

com- ana pnvale seclors baths workers prising (members of the GMWU), one of the leaders unionists zocal Tr ace residents and supporters, is occupation Baths last Friday. keeping a 24-hour rota to that the baths stay Msule the opportunity Daytime open. swimming there and washing are continuing SwIln as usual. for excuse the Joln tne daly, rota of the closure, wheeled out by the occupation. Tory-controlled Hammer- smith Council is that the "unsafe". This. is Baths are SYSCuO large v based on a report by Council-appointed archi- tects. This is simply a ploy to tion must be trade union alvert irom ine ical Icason for the attempt to close the particularly Baths, which is part of the for national overall of the suldltry Thatcher crew to make the working class pay for capit- UMOn t alism's heightening bank- must not Council's

LLDELY.

JOIN OUR FIGHT

AGAINST TORIES!

to office after five years of Labour Returned betrayals, the Tory government has immediately begun wielding a sharpened axe on jobs, conditions and social services. Trade Union rights face imminent legal attack.

Prices are already beginning to rocket upwards.

Plum sectors of státe industrv will be handed to the Tories' profiteering big business backers; and the pay rises to police and armed forces to increaser state violence mark only the prelude and an intensitied army crack.

acainsı dickets ane anti-ascists.

down in the accupied North of Ireland.

The Callaghan-Healey leadership has made it clear that it will opooose anv perspective other than settling down and meek.

ly accepting five years of Tory devastation And, though they have once more dusted off their near- "left-wing' forgotten socidiist soeecnes. Laoour s continued to duck away from. any fight to remove Callaghan.

TUC

have Tory cabinet, collaboration with Thatcher and the Tner anti workino ciass alliance witt vviison ane tnen carlaonar But the working class has experienced and overcome such 1974. Callaghan S sesotoout Icak tustol y wage controls in a series ot monumental pay bartes rast winter These experiences are not dead. They point to the way that jobs, social services and hard-won union rights can be defended dd énévéd ové cccccds But a principled, revolutionary leadershio is needed if the Labour traitors, the TUC collaborators and their hangers-on in the Communist Party are to be exposed and pushed the mass struggies mobilisea inat can dereat Tory government. Such a leadership must fight day in and day out for a pro.

gramme ot transitona eemanes wnicn conditions and today's consciousness within the working class, lead workers to grasp the necessity for socialist revolution.

And in takino uo democratic demands-such as an end to racial and sexual discrimination, it must show the crucial rola that must be played by the : working class as the only consistent- capable of leading the y revolnary crass emancipation or mankınd And it must fight on an international basis-mobilising for anti-imperialist and anti-capitalist solidarity in Southern Africa or elsewhere through• wnotner in trelane out the world, and drawing strength, and political lessons from revolutionary upheavals such as that which ousted the hated onan in dan. This means fighting for the reconstruction of the Trotsky.

ist Fourth International.

This mathod of approach, relectino any descant to simpie trade union militancy, or concessions to any wing of the labour bureaucracy, is the method fought for by the Workers Socialist nod•uo The next period will see major class struggles in Britain. A principled Marxist leadership is essential. Our movement though ramme remains small in numbers.

JOIN US and take forward the struggle for socialism!

NEWS

The Save our Baths Cam- demand the opening of their finance books to an elected paign must not turn the struggle uane unon conuice. Rush messages of SuD• support and amongst aonations teams of pickets to Fulham both the public End Baths, Ra., Nort London, SW6. Police harassment has so far resulted in the arrest of of the as he left the Readers are urged to take of a free often possible, and better still, to

NO REDUCTIONS

Especially, skilled assistance is required mallalnng mne neating IN Union branches Support for the occupa- won in all branches. in the GMWU endorsement (because most of the baths workers are members of this uuosis accept the - figures and Caledon shipyard workers brought the reality king ference last Thursday. Robbi sanctions designed to builders carrying through programme of closures. These involve closing 'mothballing and the the expense of 1,100 jobs

DON'T GO INTO

MPs have establish a basis for parallelling Phase aside, and Cae emove lre staruine wom coody s struggle for the

SOCIALIST

GET

PRESS

Fighting for new The broader the scope of the mass struggles now erupting in the labour move.

ment, the more workers will be forced into conflict with the and perspective programme upheld by their bureaucratic leaders. It is more essential than ever that a full discussion is held on forward the way m te treal unions Ano Tne Ladour raru This is the importance of the national conference to be held on November 3 by the Cam- paign for Democracy the Lapour NovemenT provids arena within which policies to defend and livin!

USS,

socidl SoT ViCdI Srineies einog the context of the struggles now under way.

UAON

canene: movement organisations aro invited to send delegates to the conterence, which iso oor unionists and TrOOE unemployed.

GOMOINE

TVEE

SHIPBUILDING

A SMALL BUT VOCAL lobby by Robb of steel closures, about struggles in the of the class struggle to the Labour Party con- offering any lead to those actually in progress Caledon, in now, and the Robb Caledon workers no doubt Dundee is now the only yard holding firm on realise that their journey to Brighton was prevent British Ship- their planned It is crucial however that their firm stand Caledon yard, at in defence of jobs is supported and made the centre of the necessary fight back on jobs in The Conference, as it showed on the issue shipbuilding and other industries.

THE FIGHT BLINDFOLD!

(CATAL

Trial sub (UK): 10 issues, only. Six months One year. Europe: Six months . Rest of the World: Six months... For a clear Name. lead in the Address struggle against wage control, cuts and redundancies SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 10 October 1979 leadership Campaign for Democracy in the Labour Movement

NATIONAL CONFERENCE

*Prepare to force out the Tories!

*For mass action against Tory anti-union laws!

*Strikes and occupations against the cuts!

*Build Councils of Action!

Saturday November 3, 10.30am-5pm

DIGBETH HALL, BIRMINGHAM

Open to all trade unionists and delegations from labour movement bodies Credentials (£1) and details from; Godfrey Webster, 99, Barclay Rd, Warley, West Midlands No lead in

CALEL

Cheshire The Tory stronghold of Cheshire is being used as the guinea pig for an exemplary

SHIPY,

series of draconian cutbacks in public spending. Day children's nurserie homes, old folks home fire prevention schemes, adult educ- auon ano scnooi transoortcare to come under the hammer, while school children face their chardes ever (TO eatane own sandwiches for lunch!

In response to this attack a Cheshire Trade

JOIN1

UnIOI Action Committee has been formed

NALGO

ane a cemonstraton ano oooi last month were backed by over 500 people from 20 at least trade union bodies. communit organisations and pensioners' associations. A subsequent public meeting brought over 200 local workers was more interested in tal- out hear five speakers denounce the council for future than thei cuts, but D annec otter attit ba the way of policies for a tight The "Actior Committee - perhaps daunted by the size of the response : to initial protests- has restricted its ettorts so tar to Ene orocuction of tact sneets or the cuts, making no further calis , while hinting dark. ly ot additional cuts to come

SUBSCRIBE

to Socialist Press

RATES:

£1.75 • £6.00 £11.00 £6.50 £8.00 Please send me trial sub/six months/one year of Socialist Press. I enclose .

Send to Socialist Press, 31, Dartmouth Park Hill, London NWS 1HR

Officials rush to carry SOCIALISI PREsS, wednesday lo Uctober 19: After 14 weeks on strike workers at Talbot's Ryton plant voted last Thursday to offer accept company which is hardly any differ- ent from that offered before the strike began. The recommendation

TOI

acceotance ot lalbot's otter was far from unanimous on the shop (35-19) stewaros and at the mass meeting over one-third voted against. The stormy and many sakers were extremely bitter at the sell out.

When the terms of the return work are examined it is easy to see why. £25 pay off addition the offered before the strike began will get f

MVTON

workers week for five weeks-a total of £25 in all for a 13-week strike which cost each striker £1,000!

ne niont saut nas aiso deen tioned with of for those.

Ano this is not a ne ta is dependent on "co-operation' management demands for with "labour ma ol concessions flexibility while the •ant restarts production The senior stewards quoted in the Coventrv Evening Telegraph as recognising the of forcing their difficulties members COn ditions in the next weeks.

the beginning of the From strike mangement nos sisted that any extra money would in the form of a have to come County Council's plan to close all nursery classes.

UNION DUES

With 238 workers having left curino ine sake it is ced tide the company will aim at main- taining existing levels of produc-

TION

EnE WorK orCe fids been cut by 10%. The seriousness with which the lact Wul cauliaky caw ine enoimo or ine sunke shown Divistnal

TGWU

Organiser • Bill Lapworth and AUEW Divisional Organiser George Butler at the mass meeting. Echoed threats of Both are ace ance sell-out Lapworth the echoed management threats of a nant cosure and butler stressed the impossibility of persuading management to Lapworth even vent as tar saying recaroless Ine result of the mass meeting, talks and incentives would have productivity, take place. Their the appearance meeting was their first through.

out the disoute. Throughout the strike the absolutely

TGWU

had done strikebreaking stocks of Alpine cars from Talbot's French plant.

The officials did nothing for this strike except help knife it, Over 500 parents, children and trade unionists supported a lobby last week against Oxford

AT THE TOP...

through Ryton pay sell-out while the senior stewards did notting Picketing of the the early stages carried out successful pickets of transport facilities within as the strike developed

BUT

the Stoke plant which It was its energetic more Wvds attempts to ciose tne ports anu from other

SUDOOTI

workers. Ryton senior stewards, who sneering references to made don't knon I how plants which TO DIcKeT their faces as the strike al tne Stoke plant continues to press the Stoke will be shoo stewaros on Monday to discuss placing a picket the Ryton any even can which work for a few weeks without the engines from Stoke. Ryton convenors declared their refusal east use engines from France. Crisis The major defeat at Ryton is further oront that the shareer ing crisis of capitalism (which

HERE COMES I

HE wokSt ron wEr

HI JIM!

HAVE ADRINK

AND SQUASHED

ACTION AGAINST THE

ARE SPOILING roR no. Cowley paint shop stopped Since the paint shops walked Last Tuesday 600 paint shift shop out the night press day and night.shift shop walked oval workers in the Cowley Body símilar issue. Plant walked out on indefin- As strike result or ine the 1,000 other on ite strike over the way that Princess and MG are now MaXI Leyland grading laid off in the Body Plant.

had been forced Because of large body stocks

SLICEUIC

on them. theassemov rants not ve affected but both the Maxi and The production worker Princess will be shut out there meeting weeks ago mass stewards proposal ov te micole of tne week rejected the At Abingdon only the MGB tor immeriate strike action and forces management into an ever is still in decided to do the same as the more intransigent stance against This leaves oniy the Marina to defend whose bodies are not painted in

I OY

the complaints through alan their living the Body Plant, unaffected but stancaros sadly procedure giving five days strike inability the exposing notice after this was exhausted.

done some • are leaders of working shop •paint aver since Inal

VOTE

the blacked which should hit class evel has been disruption within the minimal concessions. production plant with sections walking out Trapped inside their accep- A full TGWU stewards meet- tance of the logic of capitalism- oatcutariy over tne ing on Monday workers are expected to work i the dispute and was followed That orowits are necessary Dolore as others on workers increase their real shop stewards meet by a paint getting more money than them • carl a lias. I nis is wnat nappenea in the more against the meeting of members for Friday.

ever Shoes paint-shops where workers people they claim to represent The local TGWU official has grade two were relieving others leadership is needed said that the company has made •on grade inree it clear that no changes in the in ine working class-one wiict Each time this happened starts from the independent grading will take place in plant there was a stoppage, leading to of the working clas interests • nis came lo d rical willing continue ano can answer ine tre WItT last Tuesday when the dayshift procedure whilst the dispute is management with determined mass meeting of both voted at and o and energetic leadership and the paint shops to go programme of socialisin.

OUT

UNTI

Hours.. determination

COT

concedes. in the This was followed by a night strike and the thirteen week shift meeting can the ignile ground in the Telect •eciceo to do tne same The paint shop workers are From back page fertile ground in the particularly angry as those Class sonerne was supposcary Dougne have the answers which workers geared to make sure that none in by Leyland to give workers need. on the same job the same pay of the other unions stood firm The Talbot strike is far from But despite these leaders the Leyland-let throughout over

OLOKE

cadet sill breakthrouah has taken place or in the same plant maintain their insistence on an is now a fight against the 40 hour week improved offer before a recom. This shorter of the company means that the right meneation to eno the strint prominent hours must now bi moose Their oratino sutcure c.

*Build support for the they see fit and if lost will lead in every pay claim. witn deter Talbot strikers! mination to strike, even bigger to further impositions. *Black all Talbot imports!

that of the breakthroughs than Defend CPSA engineers can be achieved No wonder the employers trying play down the the 39 now saying that result, nour week was nevade ay. way! wonder the Tories are militants No quiet: in the tirst major indus- trial battle during their govern ment the employers have been This strength of the working class should now be turned into Two weeks ago attacking all the policies ot thi action to defend their members' CPSA members in Breck- Tory government, for susoenced field DHSS jobs through occupations and office, Liver- union policy. were suspended for work-sharing on full pay and on have merely asked pool, send wages. branches messages carrying out a ban on work- strength that This is the support to Liverpool sharing, part of CPSA action 'Militant' supporters on the must

TOTAL

government out of office and against the civil service cuts.

NEC have given no lead and in

CPSA

those elements 1,000 mem aer. meeting

DHS$

Duffy Department of Employ. member: rran movement tINO and Chapple who attempt to ment and Customs and Excise Employment restrict these struggles.

(Department wert on strike tor one devi response to the suspensions Section Committee) Cheers naust support actually attacked Kirkby Unem the Campaign for There were aise for Benefit offici Democracy in the Labour Move.

walkouts Oxford, Warrington, Bargoed, taking strike action-saying that ment ARtI. orv Contesence or s they should not interfere in the November. The battle is not Aberystwth Rhondda allo affairs of another branch!

West. CPSA members in Breckfield The employers-backea D' bers should follow the example Duffy and co.—Will attempt to and Kirkby DHSS and Kirkby of Merthyr Tydfil CPSA Branch through unem dovment oenerit oTices re-cou• remain on strike. executive who neve sent a resol speed up ana job cutting Engineering Despite this strong response ution to the NEC calling for all workers will up to the neces- trom the membership the CPSA to face out indefinite strike in defence need have, Ned Tar, oT une susoen•ee memeds sity tor a new leader snip

WELL YOU LOT REALLY DROPPED ME IN IT! CALL YOURSELVE

BUT JIM, YOU SEEM TO HAVE GOT IT ALL WRONG-

LEADERS? AS FOR YOU MOS

WE HAD TO PLAY IT CAREFUL-ESPECIALLY AFTER

INDEED! OLD JACK MUST BE TURNING IN HIS GRAVE!

T WHAT WE DID AT THE TUC!

ANYTALK

WHAT HARM DID A FEW LI

TER ALL, WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF I SUGGESTE

RESOLUT

RESELECTION OF UNION LEADERS

YOU'RE STILL IN CHAR

HE BOTTO

THE PRINCIPL

Or HE THING.

HISTORIC HOURS

Confed leaders back BL jobs

PRESS

Engineering After three strikes followed two-day strikes with an overtime ban, workers have won breakthrough on hours of great importance.

employers engineering offered week November an extra week's holiday spread over four off years-start extra days and one this year day each, following year.

As well as this the employers skilled workers which will raise and night shift overtime for most engineering arovalice workers. European scale engineering arnoloyers amonest The most deter mined of the capitalist class and they had taken a stand on the just тогту nour week Britain but on a European scale.

In Germany tive strike ov the Meta workers Union failed crack the employers. he tact that conditions The emplovers hoped at first that there would be no response cracked shows that it the trade union leaders nao respondeo to demands to call all out strike kept publicising they action the full claim could have revolts which were unsuccess ful in most areas except where ana there were exceptional reasons would have not to a 39-hour week for the next as in BL. cowley this they tentatively tour years. Atter fust tested at the -on had to be NEB-con-

LOSICU

the tirst place troned Mors noyce But this did suade the AUEW National Com- Create mittee against action. revolts either. And emolovers action began split. 1,000 firms or the conceded the full claim-includ- the middle of the strike, that he would ballot his members for a ing over 60 federated firms.

return verv tew were willine to dr WOrK the whole hog and lose all their Cont'd p.11, col. 6 production by locking out.

FUND

After the poor showing in the fund last month, the October Fund has got off to a very slow start-only £109.90 in the first eight days.

On the other hand all the indications are that support for the paper is growithe WSL and take up the fight for all the time, coming forward to join the policies of Socialist Press than at any other time in our history. This development, reflecting the of the working class to take on and defeat the Tory govern.

ment and its policies of cuts, mass recession, must form the basis for a fight to reach our new target of £750 this month.

Without wealthy backers we are dependant on our readers and supporters for the finance necessary to sustain Socialist Press and with inflation once more on the up and up, that finance is more essential than ever.

Donations should be sent to: Socialist Press Monthly Fund 31, Dartmouth Park Hill, London NWS 1HR Printed by Anvil Printers Ltd, London, Rogistered as a newspaper at the Poat Office

SOCIALIST

ВКСАК IMRUUGH

e= But what more could have been won? under these the employers were [ne workers been restricted In reality the likes of Duffy slaughter forced into action in He failed to of Chapple • cElru in deciaring The leaders of the Was clearly Confederation of Shipbuild- ing and Engineering Unions went straight from the settlement of the national wage daim to meet Keith Joseph and then Michael Edwardes to discuss the future of British Leyland.

Joseph bluntly threatened to stop all government finance to Ane cowaroes Threatened that to code potts port cis with more people close plants and cut back others. he would not ever go to the government to ask for more money Rather challenge such growing determination Conted leader: agreed to drop their opposition unemployment and Edwardes' rationalisation least 25,000 jobs. As a face-saver they added if rider workers wanted to defend their jobs, they could! This sell out has followec almost exactly the course of the shipbuilding cutbacks jobs where the workers took immed.

iate protest action. Publiehed by Folrose Ltd for the Workers Sociallet Loafue, 81, Dartmouth Park Hill, London NW5 1HR ment does the police last April, again. The tions to do prosecute a Special to kill with impunity on the Commander head of the Complaints Bureau. This bodies Liberties. the labour Party work trom threatened factories sacrificial victims Confed seeks Keep your head •utess chunneerme bosses latesi Make suggestions for improvements by Confed emolovers ers Federation services cracy.

NOT PLANTS

workers in Dundee @ BL Cars-Suggestion Schem The leaders at first the same anese moves-oul then quickly called off their massive cut-backs or closures as and persuade at Canley, support MG Abingdon; must occupy.

off theis stewares cal sanctions which had prevented completed ships being launched.

the cutbacks. LevianO. 100. Union leaders went through the motions of opposition. They be work-sharing with no job losses mittee" and endorsed a demon- ifthe stration past Leyland House this cannot pay that they Tuesday declared tney would black all movement of ent firms and the Blair Peach case

POLICE

LICENSE

TO KILL!

If the labour move- forgetting that was Home Secretary not 00Om] act Merlyn Rees who supervised against the cover-up of and later defended the murder murderous truncheon attack Blair Peach in Southall by the SPG. While Peach's killers walk demon- off scott free, Barnet magis- strators will ever be safe demon- strate the real meaning of decision of the class justice maintaining Director of Public Prosecu- their staggering 85% convic- nothing and tion rate as the 342 people nobody after arrested the Southall Peach was clubbed to death events come up for "trial" Patrol Group Defence evidence is being charge, gives any and every total Drushed aste

WTIN

police thug effective license abandon as savage sentences are meted out to youth and workers who in many cases Whitewash have already endured beat- The DPP, on behalf of the ot the the Tory government, gladly police in the course of their accepted a whitewash report arrest. killing The fight for a labour by Cass, movement inquiry into the police's own Southall celes Investigation stepped up solidarity with the decision has been 342 defendants is also vital.

attacked by a wide range of Union branches and Labour including the Parties should each adopt a National Council for Civil defendant and raise money lo pay ines and costs In a hypocritical display, The Defence Campaign NEC also: can contacted c/O deplored the DPP decision - Box 151, London WC2. charge huge interest rates.

the industry cannot detend workers' proves the whole motor indus.

try should be nationalised with workers are the out. compensation am occue i by which the with the rest of the basic indus.

tries and finance be ampcast made part of a planned socialist ignominious economy climbdown is a nod and a wink leaders pulling thinkind

COTI

ut of the Engineering Employ

WOMAN WORKER 3

that if they sta Bi-monthly paper of the can count on the ova Workers Socialist League of the union bureau- Now available Price 6p plus 10p p&p from WSL, 31, Dartmouth Occupy Park Hill, London NW5 The Robb Caledon shipyard have retusec All Leyland workers must do threatened WItT , Castle Bromwich and

DEMONSTRATE

against the Corrie Bill plants must retuse to Sunday 28 October accept work from those fighting Assemble 11.30 a.m. Speakers Corner, Hyde Park centrai cemane shoule for march to Trafalgar on full pay Square Called by the TUC say tney we must demand open their books and banks who