Workers Socialist League

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

Anti-union Bill tightened

Socialist Press no. 187, 20 February 1980 · scan p. 12 · about 447 words

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Published by roirose Ltd ior the Workers Socialist League, BM Registered as a newspaper at the Post Office. Signed articles do' The apparent "victory" of so-called "moderate" Employment Secretary James Prior over the Cabinet advocates of all-out confrontation with the unions has resulted in new proposals for legal attacks on union rights.

Prior will announce this week new "reforms" which will reduce legal immunities tor secondary picketing-opening up pickets to the danger of civil action for damages.

This fat. from moderate Cabinet "hawk" Howe move is itself dictated through sheer expediency.

Under the present sharpenYing conditions of class struggle, leading Tories know full well that any hasty attempt to make the unions officially liable for damages claims from employers could result in a spate of court actions in which union bureaucrats would be forced to act to defend their funds from attack.

But as these same bureaucrats-of whom ISTC leader Bill Sirs is a prime example-battle to retain control over their rank and file, they could well prove ready and willing to abandon individual militants to the tender mercies of British class "justice".

The logic of this is clear enough to Prior. But his Tory opponents are driven on by materal forces. From the dire economic plight of British capitalism they deduce the need for desperate measures-measures that would deliberately provoke an all-out confrontation with the organised strength of the working class, in the hopes of inflicting a major, decisive defeat on the unions, opening the way to an all-out war on jobs, wages and conditions.

Weighing their options, the Cabinet majority came out last week opposed to such a gamble: but as long as the Tories remain in office trade union rights will be under attack-from both "hawks" and "doves" alike.

71 = franchise whole areas of Mugabe supporters if he seems likely to win the election; one of the the election began.

The capitalist press has been a Methodist mission and two hours later bombs went off in other parts of the same city-at • Prehuterian Church and at a a rowy los VIGILE HIT LIE U Chapel in a mainly white suburb.

Local: representatives of ZAPU claim that the explosions are connected and. that the security forces were , clearly intending to pin the blame on nationalist forces in order to discredit them.

"Violations" a • potential President of Zimbabwe.

More to offer Nkomo is much more able to control his own members.. and as such has more to offerhence the increasing number of statements in his support.

But this is not to say that Mugabe poses a threat to imperialism.

Indeed his involvement in the ceasefire and election preparations have played a

← Contents of Socialist Press no. 187, 20 February 1980