Socialist Press no. 188

Danger of steelworkers Weekly paper of the Workers Socialist League Turkish generals grow impatient Turkish army has its coup. As troops and tanks rolled in to crush the factory occupa- tion and partial rising in Izmir, chief-of-stati warned prime minister Demirer nat ms government must act harder and working defeat *hAN General Evren declared: "At present, impaticace to restra d manit the problem within the framework of the parliamentary regime™ This broad hint came after asi sacos that Turkey was "paying the price for years of tolerance and mistakes" forces: "could end to our put an inside the country wtim a mone our we bele to provoke .a bloodbath amongst the population". Demirel Demirel's reactionary has now extended martial virtually the Turkey whole including' all the

YAL MONS

WILl major cities already under the control of the army While the army is given free hane smash

TING

organised working class (dubbed terrorists' and 'anarchists'), Demire nas touno tre ibera- ists shaken by events in Iran and apparently Afghanistan at last reschedule Willing Turkish debt to the IMF and to provide new Democrats Social 1 lic West Germany nave been these dents imperialism and their action has occl Ecevit, ender or the bourgeois

RPP.

But Ecevit's - own party penne Demirel's government to reveal links with Second-so- valled - Socialist' internatonal to which the German Social Democrats (and the British Labour Party) also belong!

logical purpose investigation would be proscribe RPP-the largest such Turkey - internationa banned by Turkish law. But increasingly it looks as if Demirel will unable any ok oiner bian. into action before the generals carry out their threats and seize

LOWEL

SOCIALIST

PRESS

* No. 188 * 27 February 1980 * 20p Affiliated to the Trotskyist International Líaison Committee isolation

TUC

BLOCKS

GENERAL

STRIKE

The nine-week old steel

ISTC

leader Bill Sirs that General Strike strike suffered a heavy blow last week, as South Wales ness to lead such an action, miners voted by 5-l not to from their fears that control of strike threatened slipping from against the struggle was closures. The warnings were heeded- The decision marks a defeat not by the are cy be the

TUC

machinery the

JOT LEOS

seckmed means The extending and strengthening the TUC 'ground steel strike, which now faces a action -not of course to support the steel workers, wowie cancer ol Isolalion and demoralisation. the victims of massive, organisec Yet would be wrong to scabbing, heap the blame for this setback that could win the strike and defeat the Tories. onl Tak ano se Welsh NUM. The most obvious target was Behind the miners' retreat the Welsh

TUC

which had called for an indefinite general ot the tons struggle bull SuCC closures. leaders determined at all costs beginning on January 21. showdown with The backbone of this action

NUM

une mateder covernment was the Warnings last month from 9-1 mem oers nad voted

NUR

Sid Weighell and leader endörse such action. Brushed aside Len Murray at once put the PHOTO: Andrew Wiard, Report boot in. Appeals for support from the

TUC

Hall WElC brushea aside, and every avall- able pressure brought to • TUC to bear to force the postpone une action to March 10. In its place a one-day token stoppage was called for 27 —a gauge of the miltancy was given by the staggering 250,000 workers who with responded I Ult illal udy wes num teaders correctiv protested at this but Gormley hey went along with the new PHOTO: Laurence Sparham IFT, name of proposals, the 'unity. clear that the March to deanee became increasingly itsen would be aropped, and plans for a delegate onference on Februar • 27 were

TUC

postponed by Cy Cisi

'NUM

the alter stressing the need for united convened delegate action, conference to consider going alone in tne Jobs The delegate conference voted unanimously to call all out strike action from February yousa be called that action would be off only wher the TUC undertook to play a more positive role in fighting the steel and coal closure!

Yet miners in South Wale were painfully aware that, while MoGahey have Scargill and flying pickets around, theirs is the only area of the

NUM

considered to have strike action against closures.

Marginal impact For Wales to come out while other section of miners continues producing coal, would nave only a margmal impact ol production-especially when the

ALL OUT

MARCH 9

Stop the cuts! Bring down the Tories ASSEMBLE 11.00 p.m.

SPEAKERS CORNER

HYDE PARK

MARCH AT 12.30 p.m. to

TRAFALGAR SQUARE

FOR RALLY

Corby strikers speak out... p.4 been once more left to fight on alone Indeed this TUC nas not been resenctca to walt and the NUM.

GMWU

leader Basnett has played his role-bureaucratically overruling

SETIKO

volt thousands of water workers; and British Leyland the Joint despite Negotiating Committee a mandate for action, continues calling an alfour stake e stall Commany. with-strings pay offer. More talks TGWU leader Moss Evans is a Fudy er pay the his appeals / with his appeals Michae awarde TO1 "more talks" which everyone knows will produce no conces sions The result is that now, after nine weeks bitterness and strike stands in consider- steel nore cance he amited nicorou Hadfields line brought

NUM

substitute all out for mier. alongside the steel unions in th jobs and

SLUFLIC

living standards And with the supporting strikes in the "secto private weakening it is vital that the and light exten. strengthen the struggle is taker forward Union rights At stake is far more than the wages issue alone; even and related Enreatened u steer industries: a Tory victory over the steelworkers hand of tid this the strengther vicious government to measur its attacks on the whole work ing class-carving up trade union ments sterone uo closurc olan.

and ramming home even more spending cuts. TUC leaders, happy just t collaborate with the Tories an the employers as they did wit the right wing Callaghan goverr ment nave oroven tach actions that they would sooner allow súch a setback than mobil ise the strength and militancy o the working class to bring down Thatcher government Such a course must be resis ted. Within B ine the withi

NUM,

within other Will facing pay struggles and throughout the public sector ir hoto. Andrew wiara, Repor the struggle against the cuts, th all- cemane must be rasco 10] out strike action alongside the steelworkers. Bring down Thatcher Resolutions must demand the TUC call a General Strike to bring down this bosses ment and create conditions t drive out Labour' right wing traitors who helped them intr office. prepare such General councils NCB has drawing always claimed that rank and t delegates from every section o the South Wales pits are loss must be labour movement, makers luit Port from no Dunt to organse mass bickelm: from blacking and workers control o support essentia 1 supplies active sabotage from the British And a principled, revolution- oppositior and

ITOM

Gormley and the NUM leader ary leadersnip mus the Welsh wage the struggle for socialist ship to their strike, that offer the only policies асио as Murray and Co solution to the crisis now tacmi intended, the steelworkers have the working class.

TORIES FUEL CARTER'S COLD

Page 2 'The oasis of detente has not dried up, but political the has tourism to spot fallen off seriously.' Not fertile image Marxists to cultivate, but it was Coruce al West that German Metabllol summed up Chancellor Schmidt assessment of the relation- ship between the imperialist powers and the ruling bureaucracies in the wake of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

Solidarity scnmiat made nis speech as Cyrus Vance was touring Europe maximum ensure solidarity from the imperialists ot the common Marker states behind the new aggressive stance of US imperialism towards the and French «remam bureaucracy And it revealed the concern Оутріс (particularly felt, among und presentation and West cam talists o1 rianct Germany) at the rapid tempo of the particular war' which which trade to secure from with Car IS Em Union and its allies holds for the nis cevenc ant aues Schmidt himself has equivo- Capitalist cated US campaign to and on west semany Moscow Olympics importantly the

1OLC

Duycoll of the French covereal recovery from crisis). has refused pointblank support. reluctance And both governments have pressure. their ex pressen economic boycotts of the Soviet wol Union. further its po... economic dominance over thei: differences are These course tactical. but the difter- ence in emphasis is based partly Bani-Sadr warns The 50 spies and other assorted agents of US imper- ialism are not the only ones be hostages of' the to American embassy occupa- tion in Tehran. Worl oh enguina onalis m- enquiry' cools the blush diplomatic nees in lounge of Geneva airport, both Iranian and US leaders are still in the cois of this crisis. The itself was commission istuck in limbo at the last minute when the UN bureaucrats, imperialists and Iranian leaders that they realised were not taiking about tne same proposals-specifically on the fate of the hostages While UN general secretary on the issue. Waldheim and the Carter admin credit the new president.

believed an these confics. r apparently be jockeying the incessant nostages released with the opening oi the the enquiry, the Iranian regime has presented a variety of shifting ancies Khomeini. positols. Khomeini/Bani-Sadr foreign minister government has been chained Despite minor fat more tightly by the occupa- the upper hand. restricted in the mande uvres of Carter found himself Khomeini earlier belligerent president's statements Bưi Iranian regime has to conferring contend with far more complex Supreme problems Bani-Sadr's determination to Khomeini end the ocupation has always retained for himself. the obstacle And before Hal Cutillel the anti-imperialist line of visitors, Islam" further contribution But his rivals in the most reactionary sections Islamic clergy have also. seized the government's power.

WAR OFFENSIVE

of a absence in DOTA states major reactionary, chauvinist of the anti-Soviet movement :imperialists and the sov ine their the labour bureaucracy. Schmidt and Vance

DOMI

were of course at great pains to present a united imperialist face 46 by stressing the total agreement existing between their govern- ments But it was in these delicate British Conations una Tories proposed unen diplomatic initiative the Common Market. Vanguard The Thatcher government Vanguar of use petical attacke course been the Soviet Unon, now the vote or combining this anti-Soviet cam- case against paign with witch-hunting propa style and ganda agallis. Multals socialists within the labour movement in Britain. Australian prime importance

JUSI

minister Marcom a raser. WIlO the massive increase in military spending, of of and covenient Norway, with its unconcealed lurch towards NATO, the Tories future road to spared their efforts to nave rival Carter's new-found bellig erence to sucumialism was from this standpoint èven ly 'soft' resolution of

EEC

foreign conference ministers last week. Playing with UN Resolutions Behind these factors lies the.

opponents For it was almost certainly Khomeini who secured a piedge Irom the fate of the hostages would be settled by parliament electedR had been once This formula should provide the basis for an agreement between all the major political for their particular lorces vym. "Islamic government of the Republic' himself has tinued the solid organisation of campaign for the assembly his now to be heid elecuons March 14. The backing his forces grouped have been together in the 'Unity Congress" •"Islamic Revolution Congress' Bani-Sadr and are expected to win a heavy in a bid to dis- majority of seats. , and the Defuse place leaders, ITanal But before those elections which account for the discrep between the statements mobilisations mass Bani-Sadı and within the armed forces-calling for elected cones a cs Stil Bani-Sado who tiriy holds setbacks, the officer hierarchy which the goverhe enseekson mp Tehran occupation of The University mosque by air force Reinforced • junior officers prompted Bani-Sadr reinforced cadets to make his position clear Dy forms of direct action used , on him the post of conflict with Commander of the ally position tnt government s sulatogy.

'Those who wanne had previously by strikes. or occupa pressure of the support doctors ohe nsition from me and fint demanas wil succeeded in isolating him trom the A vato ?n mace the nation. (it seems coming months, quite likely to be his last before ove Ene Bani-Sadr will not run short of rowards targets for his opposition.

and reasserting the demand for attacks on the Soviet Union Soviet troops to withdraw from resolution to attract liberals, social demo- Afghanistan, and expressed the resolution is put forward in by an instational agresolved the full expectation an international Soviet bureaucracy will reject it "neutrality espect luc completely. Afghanistan and place it above the competition world Withdrawal was success- This formula fully designed to For the wina anal mous vote of the foreign minis- concede ters, and will now be taken up of Soviet drawal • Ітетна But s an olive bracou se nOti designed as ment and Soviet bureaucracy; on the government Carrington's proposal Afghan contrary, accept a substantial defeat seeks to broaden the base of

ZIMBABWE

From back page will be brazenly rigged: ballot boxes are to be flown to Britain tion against Mugabe. The where suitable result will no doubt be official newspaper has The entre exeres d rigged". outbreak fighting TiNe security" forces will have their its support job of repression made easier by of the the agreement by

NKONO

ana Mugabe to instruct their forces to remain in the assembly points period increases This will expose them to the Soames and danger of aerial massacre if they stay put, or force them to figh either withdrawing way masscu "security forces they Derrore u cols caugl attempt to leave. role what prolonged and And there remains the threat int cirect soute vention should matters get com- period of pletely out of hand the a revolutionaly far universally leadership can from So brazer acervicu tial Commonwealth High Commis- sioners last week felt obliged to on the other. Summer School and the fight to reconstruct the Fourth International.

affiliated to organisations Committee, and is open to WSL members and supporters.

More details available from: SOCLALIST PRESS, Hiednesday 27 Februar: 1980 Soviet forces in Kabul (Insert, Carrington) the hands of imperialism, and Couched in moderate terms one that thev wil not be pre pared to accept at this stage.

'non-aligned' forces supported Carter Carrington's. proposa will diplomatic tact, careful not to jeopardise its future as a gambit 'non-aligned : states amone lie success crucially the attitude Gandhi. After severai Indira Kiemlin Stalinists Indian cuch a statu: •ment nas tinaly deciaca on Afghanistan-involving the with course of the Soviet invasion while still main new elections for a military ties with the Kremlin chosen • the Stalinists-and also attacking the people-would be US imperialists exploiting , situation bv the increase oi military support to Pakistan The Soviet leaders will no doubt respond that they nave proved themselves • bes defenders of the sovereign inde- Afghanistan bs pendence from Amin's regime, and repeat tribal rebellion complain at Soames' discrimina- ended, along with US, Pakistani, Zambian government's Egyptian, ana cames support to the rebels. "charade" Welcomed And Nigerian government has statec This was the line taken b!

lor a resumoto! Brezhnev last Friday in a speeci war if Mugabe is excluded we comed Chancellor Schmidt, although it Meanwhile, as the likelihood seems not to offer the slightest of renewed violence in the next previous Kremlin day day, chance com statements. Tory leaders The 'neutrality proposal is must ponder the best means of simply a ploy of the imperialists the 1,300 "monitoring ano one cosen because or encu inability to intervene with direct : up in the force Afghanistan, military battle, or reinorcing il to play a need could unwinnable war. tne soviet oureaucrac diplomatically black masses of Zimbabwe face "Neutrality woule oner n /struggle in which road forward to the workers and Marxist Afghanistan-it •Deasails their would simply Chami couls guaranter independent of imperialism and continued exploitation and Stalinism on the one hand, and Mugabe s lelt-larking licaciel.

TILC International Eight days of classes and discussion on basic questions of Marxism Sunday July 20-Sunday July 27 The Summer School will be attended by delegations from the International Liaison Trotskyist WSL, BM Box 5277, London WCIV 6XX

US oil workers at head Meany: the bosses' favourite SOCIALIST PRESS ardreda 2 Farass : 799 four Nearly million workers will face contract battles this year and a key test of the outcome will be of. in the national strike 60,000 Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers. The oil workers who struck every malor COIl company January are facing a united front of the bosses. Even with the billion dollar protits, the oil companies reruse to offer more than 5% in new and a fully paid healthi money and weitare olan Presently, many Ine 60,000 $48 to $84 workers pay check to cover their medical plans.

Hawail The ettects ot the strike nas been felt most sharply by oil being Hawaii where not delivered throughout the island The strategy companies is to bleed the union members through a long strike ano run the and supervisors. They by supported Carter and the federal govern. ment along with many UnIon officials who are attempting to impose wage The tederal government has also issued injunctions malting mass picketing. Although sanctioned the ¡edoersnie have strike. still being trans- ported by Teamster members.

addition, American and unions toreign continue SniD United States. key struggle must be to the International demand Unal Transport receration That represents unions throughout the world must all shipment of oil to ine vo. The death of AFL-CIO leader George Meany has brought forth an outpouring work well of thanks for from the done, not only trade union bureaucracy but from the capitalist press as well. well gratitude deserved for Meany and nis cohorts put the interests of the corporations first and the work- ing class second The January 14 issue of the Wall Street Journal compliments LOT Ils acceptance "the basic outline of our socio- economic stem ord anisation Пакс

COTOUSY

2n1- Communist." Throughout George Meany's

AFL-CIO

dictatorship oi the his entire reign) he was absolute- ly opposed the political inde- the American Delucce workin case ma of'a vork spary Journal gives Again it notes for this Walks Meany That was labour seeking to form a permanent allance with of pay fight 'Well, they told us they'd do more drilling after prices went up' American oil workers should from take a lesson steel strike. waere curoscar ana other international unions Care halting England in a powerful steel to ортезт BrITISA Steel Corporation and the Tory- Thatcher government. The same union chief put its own a polncal parly, people into office, cor Dursue expanded notions radically ownership Stalt services and production."

Instead Meany has supported politician after capitalist one another, even wnen these salle political hacks openly launched union attacks the trade movement. Every Democrat and Repub.

lican that Meany and the AFL- CIO leadership have supported the formation the organisation nas in one way ol another sought strip the movement of its power labour It is no accident that today the labour movement is in the in and the reactionary policies of Meany and his very much to do with its weaklesses

MOSE

In tel national role that Meany played Ine AFt out of the Journal World receranone.ol Unions and being "force behind the liberal international ism of labour's support for Mr; Truman and the Marshall Plan.

His open support for American imperialism lasted Reprinted from Labor News, paper of the US Socialist League (DC). Copies of Labor News available (25p includ- ing p&p) from WSL, BM Box 5277, London WCIV 6XX.

understatement since the most #moortant ourchases for wincis such as food, energy: nousin and medical care, have increased A flotilla of OCAW boat faster than the

MUCH

pickets are now general rate. successtuls • "Index of Necessities" unloading of oil Their stopping ©1979 Herblock in The Washington Post months of 1979 barges and this action must Dt in the tirst 11 taken nationally increased by The labour move. the 13.1% of the CPI. with movement ment must solidarize The trade union real picket OCAW strikers determine the Ias. ITse T mUsi line support and rate of inflation Tinancia sinci

TINI

contributions grossly under- government's The stated and this should also be a face many part ot the cAw demanas and the entire labour movement as strike pavments ano ine labou movement in every region mus well. contribute to the strike fund Political attack

AFL-CIO,

I ne ILWU and VAW must also Dullo The loss of real income by support rallies and picket

OCAW

workers and lines to win the strike. American working people everv area is a poltical as well a.

Mass picketing economic attack on labour, yet to unions continue These oil refineries should be support gemocrat. and shut down by mass picketing of Republicans who are controlled workers. by these same oil companies and musallus

CWA

unions. such union ousters Constructions motel ano and Steel workers expire this yea on the tront iine o1 snould li mass picketing to back the ou strike their contracts affected by the will certainly be succers of the caw batie

•OCAW

The strategy president Goss was to go along wage

WILT

variel s guidelines. nas Turner OCAW members away at wades A kev contract demano musi be for a full cost of living clause based the real semi-anually rate intiation

TOT

working no bargaing comt pes and demands of Goss and bargaining committee support should be built for the itself has ane covernment OCAW strike. admitted that inflation aircauy the rate of In an • important act of sup- 13.3% even that Boatmans nationally ye DOrE Union, reoresentino tug Dod uncerstateo tne covern operators is refusing to unload ment Consumer Price Index.

365,000 The Centre Economic Carter: mounting political attack on American workers Alternatives, a Washington •gallon a-day chevron rennery I Richmond, California. omist group, calls the CP!

Reprinted from Labor News government." until his final days. Even on his Over 100 million dollars was deathnead congratulated Carter for the recent reaction- conduct covert opera- campaign against Iran. al y tons gainst Ine workme Clas: followed his of Latin America and to protect

NIS OI

course sup Americah ision or Vind corporations which American invasion Viet- American Grace represents Co. has nam with 500.000 troops urace One particularly extensive investments onerous role of Meany was his relation- America along with the Carib- CIA in its inter- ship with the countries. included in this beau list is Chile. namona overanon. Not unsurprisingly, the New It was here that the AIFLD York Times obituary of with 1966 budget Meany left out

CIA

this important $645,600, involved in was aspect operations to disrupt the labour or as colaboranon will the CIA through the American movement and encourage a right Institute for Free Labor Devel wite

• COLD

opment. Allende government. It was up to Peter Grace Meany was chairman of Grace and Co., and since in this coup any olved was in aso chairman oodlu charge of the AIrLo the rectify this Yet and his brethren in AlF LD. glaring omission. the

AFL-CIO,

including his appointed successo Ark and. Founder continually rant and rave about need "free unions". the On Januarv. 11 m netter Their "free unions" are he writes that as to the impr same bureaucratically controlled a matter of fact George Meany i sha none us and collar- and Tounder president of Was capitalism in Aur LU.

CON

with the CIA in subvert- orate ceived America in 1962. •visit South ing the democratic rights of the working "The institute is supported For this Meany has carned labour, by the organized une hatred or ute working class business community and by the throughout the world. The OCAW can give a lead to the rest of the labour movement canine or а break urom tre Democratic and Republican and forging an indepen- cent abou parts moverne with a policy of nationalizing the oil companies under workers Control wa monderini Carter and the rest of the Demo- Republicans not Cals only directed against Russia anc Iran but against the basic rights of American workers. The trade must clear political alternative to this *Victory the

ULAW

strike *Transport boycott of oil to the US. *Mass picketing to shutdown refineries *Full cost of living escalator clause with labour index.

oil companies uncer workers contor *Break with business parties, labour party now. Meany: boasted that he never walked a picket line in his life

Page t 'There is no Socialist Press reporter Danny MacIntosh talked to the Corby strike committee about police violence and the prospects for the strike -now nine weeks old. place for It was a wet and grey Corby morning. Rain clouds had settled over the vast and silent British Steel works, higher obscuring the you chimney stacks, but could still make out 'Save emblazoned Our Steel' = moderation across top gasomelet. On the gates or ine works braziers warmed just a handtul Token

AUEW

have any more would be is closed wasterul.

WUINS

and the Corol DicKers have pickets; travell become flying ing as far north as Scotland and in this as tar sourn as sncerness As i walk into the cordy committee room the strike lights are burning and they have the window •Den cigarette smoke out. Warm A long rectangular table strike dominates the room It's covered with memos, rotas, telephones, tea- bulletins, cups and astrays The atmosphere is warm and and the occupants welcoming and. Inenaly. octore I can sit aown, a cup or

BRS.

"That day they were doing mood of the committee "Most of those drivers everything to try and provoke "The lads conductl women toe crossed me m mad Joseph Bromwich unless Kello LIll Castle "Some «rivers WIlU they'd been instructed to," monk' anymore" says 'says

MUCK

managed to speak to agreed to strike co-ordinator. Skelton, the round and leave but were bremnel Port Talbot

• LULI

Buckle who 'Since nis "And. it Was told by the police to drive in instructed them. He didn't even they call nim his insanity • "Of course some As Skelton is speaking, a fly- the individual drove and then straight just leave ing picket who come in out again but some didn't. Since drivers. we want all movement That's creeps steel to stop. been dic- to mug him. well beat them and the TWU tators of union policy?' up on the both .end must realise this." has enough That union floor with Mick Skelton shout- co-ordinator dictators or is own , michupes "Help me somebody, hos Bremner, a formidable red chises ine we're ter ID wall after my wage packet!" other unions, service from laced scol laughs. None particularly the TGWU. them have received any wages in amazes me the way they hold back on movement of stee!

eight weeks. Prompted by the incident, 1 S when they know damn well that ask about violence on the picket if we lose through that it lines and the role of the police.

their , and if we lose, they and everybody loses, except Grim JOSi The ories "We've atmosphere changes in going instantly grim and it's revolution; now

IULY

humour disappears they're trying to get us back to We don't expect the police 1850 they think to do anything but support this can start building pe one so ue After they're government. the empire again. the paid scabs believe this THe honest genuinely country. There is agreement to this they're government lusalit. you can't help. getting around the table, right to completely run down

TOLUEN

about it when bitter and angry against the industry and turn us ans ine resentmenl our heavy you're on tne receiving end o lack of action by the TGWU is centre InTO a coppis isnee or bong clear. a Tory tourist centre. So it's young Joe Bremner is a cell leader: revolution speaking. He looks like he hasn't it's his job But the more they turn the Cel talli Corby task force (or cell) into workers get more nad mucn sieep recentry *Everybody in this room has screws. Hurt action and keep it organised.

militant and active. he sd is, the "When this strike started, it looking forward i David "but some of us *I'm says was the executive that ran it. meeting that ............

after eight weeks, it's all were co lucky he scowls, and glares at Buckle,'

NOW.

"You've got to try and stay chanNow it's the workers who on your feet because if you go me I feel very relieved I'm not boot the the are running it through the strike (OW You David Buckle head and the back as well as the and ask who ne committees. The executive must is and why he's a wanted man balls. the obey the demands Buckle us really "But what makes OUl workers or face a vote of con- Oxford District Secretary of the ingry is when iney do a snatch

TGWU

who is responsible for noence. When we were at Hadfields suddenly rushed and they snatcted ore or o … "They threw nim ill a wagon drove off. When we saw and him again he was a real mess they had driven six or seven miles outside Sheffield into the country, done his own way backle him to and thrown him when we went to Leyland Castle Bromwich, we outnumbered two to one by the law. Swines 200-with "We counted more standing by-against 89 of "They were swines that day.

enjoyed it. They one of our lot got snatched really and dragged into post inside the factory security did him over where they gates for and Then resisting arrest bastard couldn't The poor "His Insanity " Keith Joseph stand up-let alone resist even arrest. "The workers will not accept any attempted sell-out. They're too militant and too organised *They Know They know that they big one. class in are leading the working the most important strike of th century. Bill Sirs is trying to play it straight. But what chance has h got against crooks? We have fight fire with fire. There is no place for moderation strike: it's a place for extrem- ism It was the workers who closed Hadfields and it will be who close worker. sneerness "These strike committees are workers' councils where like decisions are taken. "If we put our name to a no confidence vote it would be a genuine reflection of the views and estimations of the workers.

"We haven't done that yet: as the executive and as long does what it is instructed to do then I don't suppose we'll have 10. But we must have nel! It's okay from other unions. witt up for Scargill to march grateful for his army. We're their support. But they should have pickets on their own gates!

the "Scargill miners to stop using steel in the Leyland they're tunes. getting steel from Holland, it's still coming in. Leyland anyway, And, should be on strike right now walting for What they are Christmas strike: this win because we can't afford to lose around Mick Everybody Skelton agrees with vigour.

As I was getting ready ic funny, I didn't think it would be a Tory government that braught about the revolu tion." Bill Sirs with Welsh TUC leaders: what chance has he got against crooks?

Leicester NUT vote to occupy of The consequences those trade retreat for unionists who tried to duck any fight on the cuts were spelt out last week. they are ted where SChools not to strike on February become top targets fo have immediate loss of ancillary anc lab staff as County Hall officials carry nnounced 1500 sacking nstead of across the boar redundancies, the cuts announ- ced are in specific schools with union records and large

DOOL

Burleigh In case one virtually all non-teach- college ing staff are earmarked for the chop This clearly complacency lunatic the 0I relying on school by school ballolst decide local action But more particularly, with

NALGO

and

NUTE

talking of negotiating openly shows redundancies, these reformist exactineal bureaucrats really have to ofter their members. What needed now is a sharp political edge to the cuts fight in Leicester aim must be to compel The unions to all public sector negotiating and publicly declare their determination to fight all Police wade in on Lanark pickets redundancies by strike action.

important step towards and towards providing a this, for the future develop. focus ment of the struggle : was made

NUT

where mid-Leicester voted unanimously they support any members who occu- pied their workplaces in oppos ition to closures. With several teachers' centres shut-down at Easter, aue notices and for issue on March scheduled can provide 13, this balance to the retreats counter of NUPE and NALGO, and a lead like nursery nurses and lab technicians who defend their jobs. want to Supporting strikes Other union branches must now join in to support occupa- tion, and campaign for support- ing strikes. the same time thi spontaneous growth of parents action groups across the city- all determined to halt the cuts in their own area -opens immed- ¡ately the prospect of a labour movement inquiry into council finane andsp paren allying parents, teachers such , inquiry students ano would create the ideal ground councils campaign compe overspend and debt charges to the cancel already bulging banks.

... grovelling in Bedwellty

PRESS

GANG

There are things to be said doubt about the press coverage of the Robin- witch-hunt-but to son place too much emphasis on the role of the press in the Longbridge vote would be to obscure rather than illuminate the involved. that propa- i ne ganda campaigns can be devas tating when they fill a vacuum against but cannot succeed workers rave political grasp of the tasks and dangers that confront them The sacking of Robinson anc the tallure Ine unIons Longbridge to defend him is not press but tribute condemnation of the leadership thobinson himsef the leadership out. There Can conscious worker who does not mourn the result. IT WoUIe innuman to set Robinson shaking the nanas ol his and leaving the meeting with as brave a face moved. Robinson is a victim of CF policy-but he is also a victim of tue class war From our enemies we can Kinnock As careerist SDLP polit- icians debate with Tory Butcher Atkins the most likely way of securing them- selves a well-paid niche in a "devolved" Paisley-led the barbaric government, repression of republican prisoners has been stepped up. January saw spate mcacas m walea severa or ue 360 'blanket' prisoners demand- political Long status the notorious Kesh concentration subjectea to a vicious campaign of humiliating "searches", wanton ism to their cells and bedding al the nanas oi prison screws.

But towards the end of the this British month offensive appears to have been si violence over to a campie ill-treatien:

WOMC.

republicans in Armagh jail.

and from the Deliveries to expect no mercy: no suspension factory were cancelled. on They danced oT nostities. brought a picket recogni- Kooinson's orave WitT fervour of primeval savages.

thai

TION

Ine The pages Street's neither the massed ranks of the police nor the best efforts of the turn

VUTEULES

could ensure witch-hunters the strongest stomach Your Bike Robbo sudov ne to te lactory Rout of the The result of the voting ir Out You. GO. likewise hailed as a Wales was Rabble Rousers . against of exultant headlines was • revolt Sno • 1I00 cell militancy. It was nothing of the the death kind. reporting. The voting was a repudiation Cajoled The Welsh partia strugaes miners were not prepared to go barricades while gathered The and the miners of British TUO round him as he left, recording Yorkshire, Kent ane comiano last words The photo- his called on no were cajoled him action better DositIon. editorials The The funeral was on the state which have hailed a new dawn and it was going to be as public management-worker cooper- a display as they could attord ation are wrong But the organisers

TOIS

holiday are impression- Roman Dung spreading understand

ISIS.

INCy the chock Class fruits of

TUC

struggle Ine treachery they see a vindica- defeat they see no sal- tion of their own dung spread. vatIon-in

VICTO V

OUl the winners' laurel They have Ing therefore drawn the wrong Kult the class strudcie. Which erupts and subsides according to events of conclusions trom the laws and not to the dic tne week At Sheerness the press hailed , of Fleet Street will prove lates The scabs smuggled celebrations the factory had been can be confid. bitter hangover into work halt way through the night. en calca. Neil Kinnock for has to action with a radical-sound- ing speech in his Bedwellty con- some time been pinpointed by Socialist Press as one of stituency wnich orters all things Labour's 'men on the key came the usual flowing make'. aria Only two weeks ago, now the eit the Party's lett for stead- Out came the usual disav- fastly refusing to pledge a Lab- any owa revolutionary our government to reverse Tory aspirations: am not talking about revolution anything caucation culs Keen not to lose sucn ValU- resem bling

SUCI

me ooramatic able supporters, he has sprung Crackdown on women PoWs Thirty three (like all women in British jails) currentiy on protest in Armagn alowed wea tueT own. refusing accept the rather than prison clothing.

all, status" 'criminal reimposed the uDon unen Defiance government which withdrew the category status from But their defiance of the republican prisoners of war in meted out repressive measures Women already mner aers nas brouent sull confined to their cells for 21 further harassment and intimid- the ation, and women are now

NOUTS

nave beet beaten, refused use of the toilet, revorted contmed and subjected filthy and urine-soaked cells.

increasingly Despite their specialised ill- Ioul ana unnveenc conolton. in a renewed attempt by male calment une tor covercl and prison officers to reactionary henchmen still insist that such break their fighting spirit political Republican prisoners not but News, February 7 saw a squad soucis. 40 male screws attack criminals. prisoners on Bi wing, and wreck No such illusions are peddled Lord Chief Lord Lowry, Colls 1 his rampage was followes maltreatment counties. He has called upon of whom judges in no-jury Diplock prisoners, are refusing up the to do prison wOIk as lancu Cours lo sico pan or lnen protest. enain oi centences nanceo oui beir male comrades, to republicans declaring that: It almost certainly is a fact Tub-thumping in Manchester... 4,000 trade unionists, pensioners and students in mood marched militant Manchester last through Monday chanting "Maggie, Maggie,-OUT! Maggie, OUT! OUT!" and "What do we want? Tories OUT!" Banners represented engin- local industry unions, building lacrone: ana along with steel workers and miners. at the ensuing rally

BUT

the Free Trade Hall the offered no way marchers were of removing the Tories. with the The started TaLy news that

ATLOUI

and that Benn hadn't arrived, but Robinson claimed. It was voluntary redun- was supposedly on his way Brian Molyneux; dancy, with high payments and Ine victim ised ISTC steward from South retirement benefits early that Keith Yorkshire announced hitherto unseen anywhere!

the South and Brian Molyneux from the Jones South Yorks Strike Committee Hum berside sirike co-oramato] outlining steel followed, him instructing for workers case support in picketing the private attena une demo. Manchester Steel plants. Hard time He mentioned that only the was Clr. South Wales miners had come The first speaker of a General Ken favour council tanki. Uu possibly as a result of leader, who outlined how they 'fighting repeated shouts from different cuts- speech filled out with general "Get rid of Sirs and anti-Tory rhetoric But he had a hard time from voul win Il MP and audience, chairman Tribunite the Ireland Minister Stan Orme intervene trequenti navire predictable with followed to get him a hearing. reminded speech telling the audience that Hecklers him the Tories cutback in teachers: were ternoie, aDOul uC ruining everything. this wasn't the same, "short, But Kinnock went one step would be To KInnoCk and listed , and productive"! The further second would be "'long, disrupt- erences of the ways In voici fie feels Thatcher could be stopped.

ano oner ano ne re option would, Tory revolt and would bring only the peace The first - "Tories in revolt". Such speeches - balancing was through carefully between verbal mili- a ne seconol Duo ic ooinion full voice". The third was mass tancy ane vous oposition to mass action in practice action by steel workers, miners are the stuff that class traitors ano oiners The first option, according are made or.

TROOPS OUT®

NOW!

IRELAND

Ireland would be a major step that the general run of sentence forward against the vicious Tory will become more exploiters at home. severe, because there with the repub- doubt the object of sentencing Il soudailly and Ican prisoners, in jomt struggie punishment a acteell with Irish workers north and for something that is a danger to south; and in the interests of the Britain, Indeed the Irish liberation struggle for socialism Surueee is a ualzer lo sociely Britain must step up the struggle immediate with- force Doso te sihe stable • statelet, also the stability of imper- drawal of British troops iron Ireland; the restoration last exportanon ana capitals!

political status for Irish PoWs rule in the whole of Ireland, and • to an amnesty; and to the security of capitalist rule preparatory in Britain itself. to determine their own political successful defeat une future. British imperialist repression in He, had a hard time t0o, from the audience, being reminded of Labour "cuts" and the question of Ireland The star of this show; how- , was Tony Benn ever Whough he too was heckled at first and giver some stick loI the policies of the last Labour government, he treated the what was possibly his "leftest" speech ever.

He the bankers tore owners and media socculalor ma ne sammed une new col- dans he tre and military took the part spending; and he Robinson

DCICK

get rid of the Tories and return socialist policies were Labour, necuce Industry had tà be taken out of the hands of the capitalist class, he insisted Despite issuing a further call for the nationalist policy protect import controls eve on about Labour being inter nationalistic, and condemned the In Denans alle imperial role of Britain, talking the need for solidarity with "Third World' the caled tor not rst a Labour government, but for one on socialist policies. Yet based how all this was to be

JUST

achieved was unsaid I explethe nor se re explicitly government to be brought dowr the Manchester students' who representative on the im pac Tory policies on youth, student and women Yet as John Tocher, local secretary, pointed out Conted the day's activity and the milit- rally showed . that in the alle the support exists for taking on this government. and his fellow 'lefts, after years of betrayal in govern- ment allu Callaghan parade of socialism, but advocates to campaign for uniter Pense class action-a General Strike- bring down the Thatcher and covernmen CUlE ditions to confront and defeat the leaders of the right wing Labour and trade union move ment. They know of course that struggle would force the such a etts inemseves enter

LO DU

their demagogic words into stand exposed as action, or nothing more than empty wind bags in front of a militant mass movement of workers. Orme

MACHINE TOOL CRISIS:

IMPORTS NOT TO BLAI

Fage: 1970 Since over 23,000 jobs have been lost in the machine tool industry and the present promises to Crisis further this decline: A possible 900 more redundancies Were announced recently for Herberts in Coventry. climate any In this the attempt to uncover reasons for the run down will be of interest, and the report discussed here is one such attempt. commands particular of by way origin, method of construc- tion and the well researched of material Halui C presented Delegates The Machine covently Committee Workers Tool (CMTWC) is made up the JSSCs, delegates from both manual and white all the main collar, machine tool factories Coventry. Research was carried out by the Coventry Workshop, an independent organisation researches for. shop which stewards, bodies, tenants, etc. Workshon has also Ine produced a number of other including- reports 'Chrysler's The Crisis: "Dis- Workers Answer"; appearing Jobs in Telecom- munications": "British Britain Leyland and Africa"; "A South ana Workers Enquiry into Motor Industry The Machine Tool inves- constructed In ligation was with each sections, part discussed with the being MTWC through a series of teach-ins. Undermine , Findings which unaci- the reactionary mine demand for import controis will be of particular use to socialists when union within the trade movemell. Section I is headed "Are of the imports the Cause crisis?" The graph (see fig 1) shows that the rapid acceler- did of imports. not begin until two years after the steep fall in jobs; the be root of decline cannot located in imports. Jobs to fall began 1970 and the report defines the reason for this drop as a Herberts gained £8.7 millior TI moved from no invest- drive for 69.2 million in dividends to ConsCIOus but distributed ments in machine tools in profits and maximum 1966 becoming the dividend payments by the during group in the shareholders second largest the sixties. employers industry by 1970. same period. During the mid-sixties Industries conglomerates moved Stavely large Investment control their in to buy up smaller family increased between 1964-66 from 4 to concerns. A NEDO comparison of employee Byb. 1970 firms investment per Compensation were responsible for 50% of mechanical engineering the industry's output. Firms showed that investment was Tube Investments spent West 50% higher 40. milin million between 1966- began rationalise Germany than in the UK. of higher achieving of which was licalls Figures for research and profits in the shortest space from development show a similar of time possible. nationalisation of its steel increase 1965-70 little Between trend, interests). 1968-75. The between clear that makes it TeDort this was no lack tore deliberate but sight, strategy firms Manufacturing looking for a way to restab- of their declining rate ilise '70s the early profit demand labour- began to saving machinery is suggested that this responsible been may have for a surge of orders from about 1972 Sophisticated Numerical Tools Control (NCMTs) formed an impor- part of this demand tant There had been an increase • in the installation of NCMTs 1960 of about 9% per 'since annum as against an average of 5% drop per all ull! overall installation of new new machine tools It is precisely these high productivity machines thai imported been have numbers since increasing 1971-(see fig. 9). and Lack of research coupled with development policy of the short-term Date Numerically Controlled £m 2.8 1971 AN 1972 1973 . 1974 1975 == 1976 1977 Source: Machine Tool Trade Note: (1) until 1974. inform Destination Advanced capitalist cou Developing countries Communist countries Total NC as 7e ofall MT expor Source: MTTA (unpublishe (A. i Advanced capitalist (B.) Communist countrie (C.) Developing countrie Total Source: MTTA (unpublished profit maximisation in th sixties has led to losses i domestic markets. fall orders in th early '70s led to a policy o "slimming for profit" whic resulted in further sacking and plant closures. 197 . just over figures. Product ranges wer reduced and research an £4.0 development cut from million in 1968 to £1.9 million in 1972. Run down The large firms were res major job ponsible for the losses, e.g. Tube invest down capital employed from £19.2 to £11.4 1969 million in million down the in Churchill factories Halifax which it had taken over in the mix-sixties On of the policy of top payments the high dividend report identifies a deliberate retreat by employers from the advanced competi tive markets of the leading capitalist countries As mentioned above the rise largest of specific imports any has machine tool

OCCI

Control Numerical machines, (NCs) rising from 59~ o: all imports in 19-1

SOCHLNTERESS

Jobs, ME! Figure 8 Total Imports of Machine Tools, BI Type, 1971-1977 Machining Unit Physico- Centres Construc- Chemical tion Em Im im 0.0 2.9 0.8 1.6 0.5 1.7 0.8 2.3 1.5 353 --- 2.0 4.4 4.6 1.1 13.5 Assoc. (I inpublished Analysis).

ion was not available on the value of imports of automatic machine tools.

ligure 10 Exports of NC Machine Tools, 1971-77 1972 1973 1971 7.6 3.0 3.6 Em 85.9 80.5 64% £m 0.6 0.2 0.3 % 7.1 4.3 6.6 0.6 15 23 Em 8.8 10.3 Figure 11 Non-NC Machine Tool Exports by destination, 1971-1977 1971 1972 1973 Em $2.5 47.8 51..1 68.5 64,5 64.8 11.9 14.8 Em 15.5 19.9 18.8 Em 12.2 11.6 13.0 16.0 15.7 16.4 74.2 76.6 78.9 £m 100.0 100.0 100.0 (ta) to 11.24% in 1977 (a rise in are increasing value from £2.8 million to "local exported to them and their £14.4 million). UK production of NCs aim is to achieve complete 1972 and although produc- country as soon as possible.

tion more than doubled in Ine from 1972-6 the value countries the report claims manufacturers increasingly that the increased demand is with failed for advanced to keep pace rising demand (see fig 8): machinery side the export tition is already fierce.

1972-76, NC petween exports almost halved as a péte these 1n percentage of the value sold immense, and it to advanced countries fore suggested dropping from 80% to 46% employers have two choices (fig 10). for the future. Bias seems to have been to preside over the decline placed on exporting to the and developing countries machine tool industry. the deformed workers The second Stales intense re-organisation and This trend also the replacing of workers by repeated, with emphasis on the machines developing collies increase the level of produc- when we look at the percen- tivity. tage of total exports of non NC machine tools. its statement that, whatever These show tigures drop from 64% to 58% for the Choice. bear the brunt. capitalist advanced Japan, and a rise from countries, capitalist terms 15% to 28% for the develop- efficient ing countries. The reason for this con- industry) the has been cut by 36% in the that the centration will last six years. developing countries take the traditional designs.

one However these markets are moving into smaller and likely to be making short lived. alast then collapsing whole firms The developing countries BARRY TURNER reviews the booklet Crisis in Engineering: Machine Tool Workers Fight for published by the Coventry Workshop/ Institute for Workers Control.

Automatic' ‚Vot else- Wriere specified Em 88.4: £41.4m 87.5% 1573m 17.8 53.5 60.9 54:8 20.4 19.0 74.3 55.2 69.3 10.0 19?4 1975 1976 1977 7.0 12.0 14.0 5,4 46.8 60.2 -1.0 115 10.5 21 in o in 10 30.0 18.1 11.2 1974 1975 1976 1977 78.6 89.6 58.6 83.2 58.0 58.1. • 61.1 hy a 8.7 20.7 18.4 20.5 13.3 ₺ 10.3 15.2 13.6 17.2 32:3 38.5 44.2 23.7 28.4 2814 20.3 84.5 136.2 135.6 154.3 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 rosient deod gords with the resultant rising of goods unemployment. The of union response bureaucrats and the Com- their ask the fight for a workforce to advanced policy of import controls- which would lead inevitably the redundancy of technology workers abroad. and the compe- Socialist objection Capital required to com- markets The report fails to raise is there- this basic socialist objection that to import controls, despite providing much which information points Firstly they can continue away from imports as the root cause of the crisis.

Part of the attraction of for controls the import option union leaders is that the demand for action is shifted onto the thus government relieving the bureaucrats of cul the necessity to lead a fight against the employer at the The research is clear in point of production or 1r threatened plants. will keeping with their

WORKCIS

class collaborationist (arguably in methods thev ine up with the most the capitalists to lobby the machine House of Commons

LOO'

Tallie! force than conflict with the labour oosses or lead a pricipica throughout the struggle The picture is, therefore, machine tool industry for conglomerates nationalisation, without industry under all profit and workers management An informative section Figure 1 Job Loss in the Machine Tool Industry and the Rise in Machine Tool Imports, 1959-1977 indicate that the rapid acceleration of Note: imports began two years after the steep fall in jobs Sources: Department of Employment Cadette: Annual (enous • Imployment tor 1959.1976 data and quarterly estimales for 1977. MTTA: unpublished data (1959-1967 imports datal Tool Industry & Trade. Basic faces The British Machine 1978(1968-1977 imports data).

on the effects of automa- tion the industry con- loss. and cludes by pointing out that private ownership technological change is not In but in itself a bad thing, that within present society the reasons for which, and COnCLEONS capitalist "viability". machine Herberts, Kalils. and ship senool reason for the The report points that technology OI JODs. no pation-type the right SaUC direction extremely dangerous. of technological pace This danger change. again in be must import introduced ways to nours and The The machine of the report tool and strategy TOr work with and Is witnoul need weakest part of the of traditional range document. products. could Correct calls "stewards' anda the To assist union is required proposed, production. State tool industry in Europe".

strategy Socialist however, DV League coherent

NEB

channel defend jobs of vast worKers private employers. maustly Huge sums are pumped Redundancy Page? fought by a policy of work sharing on full under pay the control of elected union committees not ana suggested, by calling tor a lay-off pay or relying 100% Government employ- on ment subsidies. Nowhere is there any mention of a tactic to fight closure, despite the fact that is full the pamphlet shut-downs examples of over the last twenty years.

Occupation A policy of occupation and supporting strike action for. All fought must De of the reactionary, trace demand for nationalistic controls be import must removed that The suggestion should "public firms réquired to justify publicly any purchase they intend to make of imported tools" is a pure diversion from the necessary fight for workers social

CONITO

ship of the industry and a useful union plan production. The necessity for all up- to-date information is met in, with no reduction in job through the demand challenge of the the books open com- employers reality governments, demand This mittees. and the Labour government completely avoided in particular, simply finance stewards Instead. al C vicious attacks on jobs and encouraged the use name of in the dubious provisions Employment Protection Act despite large to tease out whatever tit- has cut 3,000 jobs the

OILS

mormallor closed its apprentice- bosses deem it fit to release The "long-term aim" o! out bringing to whole industry that protits can be onl into social ownership maintained at the expense then to plan its future in the There is, therefore interests of the workers and interest the wider community and emplove stated workforce and any partici- Long term Witt management is, as always, However there appears to is reflected little be connection. struggle, between this "long aemana ol controls term aim' and the present implies a workers' alliance against closure and with Uk emplovers againsi • redundancies. the jobs of workers abroad Nationalisation seems to result from long discussions concerns between trade union leaders and the government leading doubt the to a fully formulated and agreed rather waote master plal. of the • lowing organisational struggle to prevent tactory a national shop sut-downs. combine commit- Failure to appreciate the tee, a shop stewards' paper for a programme of need research group to transitional committee protect standards and draw are with hesi- the struggle forward under- tant recognition of the need the confusion of the lays to build links with combine CMTWC strategy committees in other indus- The result will be the tries, and "even with groups relegation of the long over- of workers in the machine due derence nationalisation without plan fails, compensation, •unuc. workers' management to the present of tub- programme "never-never and living thumping conference standards leading forward to speeches by trade union of the and Stalinist oureaucials should be Conference The CMTWC has circu- lated the report to all major factories throughout the UK to call a confer- and hopes discuss a strategy ence to the fight back the 10. industry It is hoped that the con will be convened terence sometime in the spring and organised Ilay conjunction with the Coventry Workshop and the Institute for Workers Control. Socialist Press supporters in the engineering industry should read the report and urge support for the confer- and ence tne oracle districts Further organisation of the details plus copies report (cost £1.50) can be Coventry obtained from Workshop, 40 Binley Road, Coventry

FASCIST DISARRAY

drive them from the streets Much ado about nothing TERRY EAGLETON reviews Culture and Crisis in Britain in the 30s, ed. Jon Clark and others; Lawrence and Wishart, £7.50 Page 9 The series of splits which have recently shaken the National Front and now erupted into open factional need warfare he taken very seriously by socialists.

Not only do they give us a clear picture • or te state British but also, by they offer an image Icilativll or tne verv real bontical CrIsis which confronts the bourgeoi- sie In the winter of 1973/4, as the ories saccererunactunc blows determined and class, the undefeated working . was aDie itself considerable layer Tories. disenchanted right • wing n towas ake Leicester. ical' local Tory workers No and shifted the and the base to built for a sustained Was electoral campaign. Total collapse The total collapse of this NF erectoral strategy CIne 1979 elections, where their candidates lost votes as well as enem deposits, mevilaury causcu major problems for the Se - appointed vanguard of the master lace. In e Go arouments viol- electoralism populism versus DaILy versus dictatorial group and, course, about the identity of the 'Fuehrer', future British NF's the police- emersec guarded yarmourn conterence.

The crisis was, far that which broke than

OUL

ate tale Cartill Kinglsey-Read split. decisive factor in the Front's tallure nad been campaigning relentless throughout the country and their willingness to British Stalinists' The long struggle for respectabil- ity has taken a number of curious forms over the last decade or so. First it was religion. Back in the mid-196Us, small groups of CPers and Christians, often from the same public schools, met in smoke-wured

TOOTS

the parallels oetween socialism and the Second Coming, redemption and revolution.

dialogue, tor some un- this accountable reason, oroveo less than politically fruitful; and the 1970s the Stalinists carly savv not oursuit ine ratner more alluring bandwagon women's liberation. centremanty oben- mindedness on this tonic was enough to hi-jack a few leading the party: and Teminists Into encouraceo ov inis success. tney into even more ambitious terrain. Communist University I ne jamboree of Marxist abuzz with seminars on theory evervinino trom ooo cuture Lo the Popular Front Rosa to radio Luxembourg! Wander No tiresome political demanded; commitment wal hall lecture hall. filling note. yuul book as vou went wita serdos oi Gramsci and fragments counter-culture. intellectual stars of "ne two the • Show MArXIS SOCIO ONISTS Barry Hindess and Paul Hirst, returned each year central doctrine OT veronet historica materialism. One year they would disprove the existence of modes oroouction. The next yed Class action needed to Tory conference: the Tories stole racist vote from NF fight in town after town to keep physically powerless they were 1 blind alley fascism off the streets. clashes thugs were Memories Ine nara core Southall drifting into and west BromwiCk the British Move hunterence like Yack pal.

hung over Yarmouth NF search of a means of their frustration expressile the whilst the organisation staggerec WIlt salle ule. willingness of Thatcher's Tories from dereat to • detea to openly embrace streets and in the ballot boxes and to garnish In a very real sense 1979 was stood more inan a rouda or Ine yea between the NF and extinction.

anti-communist witch- open hunting offered the right a more In situation the battle which emerged in respectabit 101 politics. The NF were boxed in. was over credolly allu Politically threadbare, and particular the credibility of the Culmination of the Popular Front: the 1939 Stalin-Hitler Pact they were back to deare had come Althusser With. nis high-flown French abstractions only vulgar Marxists believed that ideology had any- "anti-humanism" and ferocious thino to co witn class interests.

to upset the aoolecart Meanwhile, things were it was clearly aovisabie. now- 'cultural' ever, to give the young people a hotting theoretically and little Stalinists had they colitically Dankrupt were, the Stalinist leaders badly spotted that 'culture' wasn area thronged with a number of needed an intellectual boost and show-piece, and if it glamorous a cultural new free-floating left students, which had to the French alien like religion and feminism might jargon of Red Letters, then so repay moving in on. people literary journal, Perhaps Tne would leave the party if they accordingly Letters,

WVOD

weren't granted an intellectual launched by a group of youngel perhaps in time party members enamoure. of payeround. theorist Louis thev would ditch Althusser to Teilhard de Chardin.* Althusser The 'cultural' Stalinists had was doubtless a little their disturbing for the party leader- card moortant Who had just pushed for- sleeve. ship, Had there not been well-tried the 1930s, a mighty outbreak of ware one or arou hacks, Jonn Lewis, to counter Althusser's positions *A mystical Christian writer the British CP had •Just as several • leading been growing respectabie, rcas onable and pro-religious, along Stalinists are greatiy enamoured.

leadership. Both the NF Constitutional Movemen Fountaine/Kavanagh частот Reed-Herbert's new British People's Party hav lact that the history of the NF is damaged by Webster and Tyndall's own Cal els sent bi une open himself and the Nw west Mid lands organiser, Stan Goodwin, membets, states e criticise the leadership Communist cultura activity. all the way from the literary Christopher CrITICISIT Theatre Movement? there hadn't actually, No pretend but you could always there had-pretend that tint extremely partial, politically dis- theoretically thin offer ings ot the cultural britisn ut in the 1930s constituted a rich and fertile heritaga. what the orecisery An Introduction by veteran stalinist James vomane. nim self author of an almost illiter.

ate history of the CPGB riddled with distortions ano omissions.

Front, he tels us, showed opat tone: Popular progressive genuine national feelings and patriotism were the other side of the medal of popular and proletarian inter.

nationalism. along A no with his fellow Stalinists of the 30s, himself manageo King 'God the Save along with The Red Flag' cultural feat which "repossessed for the Marxist revolutionary. of cultural Today

• MIS

heritage of the past". olatectica syntnesis opposites: while the stalinists were fervently practising 'prolet- attal internationalisin collaborating with anti-proletar slaughtering Spain, and Trotskyists non aggression! wal with fascism; they managed a the same time to stir up a little public-school ism as a kino or cultural Donut Not that the CP was entirely without achievements: Klugmann tells us proudly that at one stage 60% of CP student: got Firsts at Cambridge' The book then proceeds to By Colin Morrow "Let us make clear immed.

nationalist iately that VUln policies are In no way they state in the open letter disturbs mini- weat feuhrers their inability break out of the narrow ghetto genuine base amongst tne pell most back- racialist elements of the wall. workms Cass As Reed-Herbert puts it, the "whether the National Front as political movement is capable of taking these policies forward to power and implementation" Thus, the internal intrigue- which saw reco- meroer aecha the Excalibur the NF very time House inquiry at he was preparing the BrP split- centres fundamentally c on now to impose fascism on the British of the National Front for its WOrK I. Class BPP has clearly it has in The new the Nazi image found a resonance amongst NE people's minds, ine Image violence that the media has been Birmingham meicester, Lourhorough, allowed to adopted by Northampton of the tactics Inally Nottingham they ana at ПОТО majority sexual connotations which have distress members. caused many As their NF Northampton members" Marilyn James put Clearly there are no political spokesman, disagreements here "More than half the North- •Reed-Herbert and lak! Branch has left the Fountaine ampton nave gone

COU

party" their way to assert the continu- And the new focus. accord ity of their nationalism to this demoralised petty Ing bourgeois, "stam ping IS 10 out Communism in Britain Reed-Herbert may well claim that he Daley y creditable political figur clean,

WIN BO MA

Dul bellic this lies a well trodden path of Webster support for Tyndall anc 1975 he backed them on the against Kingsley-Read, having wavered at first under the temptation of • being a councillor. He has also been the tame retrieve from the obscurity of NF house for years attorne historv a number of resounding Relf, Webster. et a aerenaig cultural non-achievements . charges against the various We are whipped through the against them literarv criticism ot such interio But with such clear disorien 'thinkers' as Ralph Fox, author tation and demoralisation in in populist The fascist there now an Novel and the People, treated to for anti-fascists opportully ce enration or ine eismall Gecisvey to mtervene theoretical journal The NF rump must now be Review, asked to admire Left firmly driven off the streets, and thin an offensive begun to ensure in offerings •the momantie BPP is stillborn. John Cornford, and The breeding ground of by a counter-revolu informed the material con- fascism Green tionary Inal walter ditions and problems which con wood's Love on the front and frustrate the working counter-revolutionary. denied perspectiv class, any There are, surprisingly, one from the leaders of the labou excellent essays in this or two movement. It is not adequate uncomfortably wedged write off the NF as the Anti

DOOK

between disgusting aporogies iot Nazi League Has one class betrayal Wright's fine dissection lain Class action of the most important literary critical Fascism destroy | movement in bal does not century-F.R. Leavis's physically to be Scrutiny-should journal defeated by class action congenia This means stepping up the

TOUNO

mort home; moves in union branches to ba and Peter wiecowson unlike most of the contributors, tascists tom me oer sho alll literary a sensitive drivin the sout time labore acludily time labour With sOmE valudoie insights into the fiction of the movement defence squads must fascists he bull • wnerever an informative retain a presence to drive them ¡ nere is also off the streets-whatever they essay on the workers neatre Movement, centred the can unemselves Unity which And in the workers' move- London Inedlit for all its political delusions still ment struggle must be offers some important lessons to stepped up for a programme of revolutionaries today concerned action through which worKer. fight resolve the with boltica ineatre Culture-the lived experience they face-falling problems of a class in song and symbol unem- Ivine standards Illass book and ployment, memon ana myli housing queues and slashed public services. ballad-is too vita a componen of the class struggle to be aban United class action against the betrayers of th doned to Thatcher's une em lovers allu bosses government is the most workine class effective answer to fascist and But perhaps we don t need to worry; perhaps next year the those Tacisl Stalinists will have moved on leaders that obstruct such actu confronted be and Ene vich revolutionary ulchilidl do-it-yourself roof installa. removed.

How to see pictures -

SOCLILISI PRESS.

Claude: The Embarkation of the Queen of Sheba The two most advertised exhibitions of paintings in London at the present ime could hardly be more differ- ent experiences. One-Post Impressionism, at Academy-is the Royal turopean visitors. it is hard to look at any CoLeCIIon mosuy art from the last two decades of individual painting without the the 19th and the first of the of images of its 20th centuries fill 14 among the bome gamunes

LUCKIV

exces- alleries. The other exhibition- tions-but only because it is so Sight National Lor me the impressive painting called the armed udlier y -1s IwU Fourth Estate by the Italian paintings, paintea two centunies painter, Pellizza apart in 1648 and 1815. (This was the painting used Confusing effectively in the creaits ol Bertolucci's film "1900""). The very scale of this picture Infinitely more modest forcibly raises the question as to its scale and approach to the doing in presentanons exhibition landscapes National Gallery exhibition infinitely more satisfactory than pondscapes •ezanne. Monet or even pictures of Tahitian girls Lile Gaugin. the Academy. coherent problem with Post IneT seens answer to the question. Impressionism is overcrowding. ins hexhibition catalest overcrowded une Dictures are begins on the walls so that, even you manage to look at Impressionist painters the Impressionists) did not them through the Cruwus The Battle for Trotskyism Second edition of the opposition documents presented inside the WRP by the present leader.

ship of the Workers Socialist League With a new introduction Price £2.50 plus 20p postage and package from Workers Socialist League, BM Box 5277, bondon

WC1V 6XX.

and how not to. define themselves such-but were given the label Dy corners As a result the exhibition's to have felt free orcarlseis secul to merce anytame bamica over i shirty year period from 1880- Some painters there Decause ther acknowicacea debt to the impressionists, even themselves called neo-impres-

SOTISS

"because" they reacted against the impressionists. Incoherence Yet others seem to be there without any particular reasons at all. This incoherence which lies ism means that it is not so much an exhibition as simply a gested collection paintings which are very difficult to sec.

tel many or inese painting.

are famous and many of them fine very important in and/or tne mistory of pamlug then that How regrettable vou are lable to emerge fron this exhibition poorer by £2 (bankrupt you buy the aesthetically calalozut.. fused and reeling-less under the of visual beauty and excitement than under its. main sensuat impact. une thousand brands of deodorant and cosmetics. The uplift sense of en lentenment Second Sight contrast Side by side It is the first of a new series Gallery bich sete tha di juxta from pose paintings the collection by prominent place by S10f and add slide • show with which recorded commentary analyses anu comments on une paintings. The first two paintings for this treatment chosen are French landscape painter Claude Lorrain (normally referred to as Dido ana bulaing Carthage by the 19th century British painter Turner. is particularly The Choice appropriate, since the two paint- ings normally hang beside cach other anyway as a result of a stipulation of Turner's will for his painting to BJ nang desde tudes cone or une very first collection of paintings which formed 1824), Turner clearil Gallery in the recognised GeoI French painter. And the similarities between the two paintings are extremely obvious both visually and in its subject matter depict

BOTR

Queens of the ancient world involved in an event that brings mnem o a naroour voracrea os large and ornate public build- ings both cases the paintings are compare anne cente o the brilliance of the sun.

Turner many times : acknow- deb ledged to lauce m une capturie oł su ight in pain Essence Yet despite the striking sight, similarities first essence or me octures-as une excellent and provocative com- mentary and booklet by Michael point out-could hardly Wilson be more different. Claude's is painted with selt- conscious harmony, its structure menculousv of perspective leading to a single vanishing point in the middle of the horizon The light is clear and radiant atmosphere ordered and the dignified. has decisively changed all these features of the original. There is no balance, the perspective is disorderly. ditter- ences of scale are exaggerated.

The burns rather sun illuminates. Ihe atmosphere chaote-not ordere• ano deal says, more disorderiv scenes which Turner would have witnessed on the Thames near his own home And Turner's painting is ful of menace and forboding. The children the fore- harboul toreshadows Aeneas'. later desertion of his lover Dido. But more generally the Pie: Detail from Dido Building Carthage

HENRY

PHILLIPS reviews two important London art exhibitions: Post Impressionism (Royal Academy: admission £2) and Second Sight (National Gallery: admission free, show- ing February 14-April 13) Claude Turner atmosphere of the pain ting fore- kept hanging in his own home until his death shadows the later degeneration the ancient Carthaginian I hough secona signi con Empire-which for Turner was a refers symbol for others expectatons aboul ine acgener- Damiers wace canal De secul ation of Britain. a neighbouring room The circumstances in which Second Sight recommen- ded the two pictures were painted as a visualiv and intellec Claude'" was a commission hors these differences: tually satisfying way to spenc an hour. . It has the added virtue wealthy while not being overcrowded and Turner's was intensely of being free of charge! personal statement which he

THE TRANSITIONAL

PROGRAMME IN

TODAY'S CLASS

STRUGGLE

Founding document of the Trotskyist Inter- national Liaison Committee Published in the International Discussion Bulletin No. 1. No. 1 Nov. 1979 Available, price 75p

INTERNATIONAL

including postage from

DISCUSSION

BULLETIN

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Page 1!

INDUSTRIAL NEWS

FIGHTING THE CUTS

IN SANDWELL

The Sandwell Committee Against the Cuts has estab- services and lished significant base among workers in the area.

out ne caboul now been whipped into line and The basis of the committee is the alliance formed over the Council meeting last three years by the Sandwell Direct Works Department shop 1 372 culs and stewaros. Ene banewel and rates for each household.

Tenants Liaison Committee.

It has now attracted delega- Mass lobby LIOnS Unc local Trades Councils, the

NUPE,

and some local Labour The culs counciors. and nas been aole 1o exert some influence on the meee—ou no-one execo oe Labour council. Labouis rapes it essa. The meeting before council

LULS

because of the number of anti- resolves the And although the last increases.

NUT

meeting went aneao ringeddy police) the Labour group leader- councillors have argued against cuts but ship was afraid to press ahead

JOIN THE

WSL.-

With workers by the trade advance union thousand taking to the streets to oppose Tory parliament. policies there is plainly no The Workers lack of militancy the League organised working class. fighting day Yet the existing trade union build bureaucrats and Labour leaders in Britain. -whetnel all-nave no perspective to those otter workers prepared 10 fight aftiliated to defence living stan.. of caros social services ano cemo- cratic rights. These can onry be derended internacional colicies lead Trom ne indepencent interests of the working class, which, international class, has ime oarasitic thé notina. to lose from attempts to restore degenerated workers' states the profitability of their "own' yve Invite Socialist Press In a period where the contra dictions of the anarchic capit- ana to join us in tae suruggre vor alist system wholesale socialism. crosure oestrucion or lat productive Torces society only socialist planned economy on a world scale offers • way vorwaa. o achieve such a verso. leadership needed Socialist Youth League Please send me more details Articles Socialist of the Workers Week of League. fascist activity in Leices- Name . steel ter; anti-union Address of new Clash album and more. including postage, from SYL, BM Box

WSL,

BM Box Sena to: London WC1V 6XX. 5277, London WC1V GXX. rent rises. The tenants have win moe anua buacer because of the danger of splits over cuts arguea lor no rises rate and rent It is clear that the only basis for a united struggle by tenants group has and council workers against the policy of cutting public whole s certain that the next spending , and attacking workers will for vote iving standards is the no rate ana aprox- ana rent fuse bosiuon. policy imately f3 per week extra rents Around this "rent combination of rate and strikes, and strikes and occupa- closures and cuts

TONS

agains can be developed and directed those councillors and committee will aganist organise a mass lobby of this trace union Direarera o are full of "no cuts" talk, but won't lift a finger to prevent them.

makes it essential that Crossing painters Commullet long-standing rate and ana sonne - charged favour of rate and Two anti-cuts protestors been have arrested Brighton and charged for painting a zebra crossing, as part of a struggle against the "lollipop" axeing children's crossing atten- dant. Local supporters the "Moulsecoomb Mothers Cam- addressed the following appeal to socius rress seeking beyond WOrKeTS clearly typical hundreds militancy. protest Sillllar analist portics ano inusions inar cabit the cuts springing up through- alism can be abolished through out the country. 'Why can't we keep our Socialist lollipop lady? Trotskyist move- Why do we want to keep and day her?- Well we care about such a principled Kus. we don want trem kued leadership in the working class as they cross the road to school.

We don't think government cuts te newiy tormed We have been forced into Trotskyist International Liaison fighting for our lollipop patrol.

Council meeting Fourth on November, the! ane Ine told us that thev had lost our of revolutionary parties in every struggle and against bureau. stalinist deformed and reacers seek more and its work,

RED YOUTH 18

Monthly paper of the

NUSS

on Action; anti- Six issues. Three months (12 issues).

strike; Tory Six months (25 issues): laws; review One year (50 issues) .

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Six months (25 issues). Available, price 15p One year (50 issues) ... 5277,

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Six months (25 issues). One year (50 issues) Police raid Labour Club: pickets held Thirty uniformed police arrested burst into the offices of Birmingham Borough Labour Party on the evening of February 18 and seized damag files relating to the organisa- damaged lorries tion of steel pickets in the Shropshire-using West Midlands. The raid followed one the Party offices. The spiracy trials of 1972. staylis Chix: call a conference! Dear Comrade Editor, 1 read with your article on the recognition be added dispute in Slough developmeni particular an Although your eporte managed to get quite a lot o na Deen tne pickets. from Lorries have trading with Obviously business warehouses pressure them to etition with 800 names on i They also managed to lose two aole to the strike letters from the Mayor. Deni The dispute Hobden, supporting us. support from East Sussex County Council quarters, 1500 on burning o f the zove: quite happy to well families as crossings have appeared. that Yet they don't £14.70 a week West London. the Trades Council supported and voted to spend their week ment cuts with the US crossing. Several councillors sup- called which well as the Mavor.

DUIL

and the Gazette gives us. good write-ups. practice. The more people that show Such Inel suport ine better oro vide more that help, the quicker we discuss policies can get our lollipop ladies back More information from, and dónations to help pay the fines flying pickets to: Moulsecoomb The Campaign, yo waldergrave ka official McMulian to vour inter BNỈ Brighton, East Sussex 6GG initiative.

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SOCIALIST PRESS. minesia: : Firar: : 73: questions about the source of Another picket was arrested police informatior in Corby the following day-anc Either the raids are a com all three have been charged with conspiracy to carry out criminal must have heavily infiltrated th picketing organisation. are alleged to have establishing As weil as • at Telford detence muno ? as essenuar unal implements the labour movement found in the Borough Labour Birmingham should establish an inquiry into the police action so scene seems set for a That ne necessa sicos can o repeat of the Shrewsbury con- taken to defend the security of working class against police intimidation.

raids raise important Reader's letter information into it I think there Although there are problems with blacking the water supply are one or two things that could to nix waich comes trom important supplier) they no1 private problems spells around the strike the use liying OuT Despite this, many people in These have been despatched and the would respond to the call for a Chix to warehouses Lila are coing ousiness win tne nirm conterence ana some discussion been turned must take place as to how this away from businesses in Maiden could be convened head and Slough and some firms Too unionisation dis- have agreed that they will stor Dutes ake the cmx struege nay!

Chix for the by hitting the all trade Al a ume wael of the suppliers and union rights are under attack is put on from the _Tories it is imperative Chix employer that we fight for that most basic Rose and leave him more vulner ol mants—umor menDersno Yours fraternally has attracted Gerry Hawkins different many PS. Bro Allwal wel wear smart shoes but this does Incuong vol article states, from the strikers :him playing : prevent local trade active role in the strike. He was umomss mom souen. roras d cackee rom is Langley and local authorities in Chix) because of his ; anti-fascist mainly Policies slalil because or as umon activite branch secretary •of the This support could be broad- branch covering both enca even lurtner ov a camoale!

lactone. for a delegate conference to be More information from, thrash out und messages and donations poncies to win me sunke and co ordinate action to put them into to: M. Anwar, 271, Good. man Park, Slough. a conference would opportunity like 24-hour

WOMAN WORKER 5

picketing (which seems to me to A paper of the Workers anu extend the blacking and use of Socialist League Available, price 18p (incl of

GMWU

postage) from WSL, BM Box 5277, London viewer would indicate that he is likely to support such an

WCIV 6XX

DON'T GO INTO

THE FIGHT BLINDFOLD!

SOCIALIST

For a €2.00 clear *

PRESS

lead in the £4.00 struggle against £8.00 ware cantrol, cuts £14.00 and redundancies Send cheque/P.O. your to Socialist Press, BM Box 5277, £9.00 £16.00 London WC1V 6XX. £10.00 £18.00

Ealing cuts conference Stewards demand: Problems at Meccano An encouraging initiative in the fight against the cuts in West London was the 23 February conference of the Ealing Liaison Committee Against the Cuts. The aim of the Liaison Com- mittee is to build and co-ordin- all in ate Oboositol public expenditure and loss ot the employment in public sculuL. 38 conference drew 1 nC 12 trade union de legates rom branches, delegates „Trom IWO shop stewards committees, Organises ons and ig delicat nine accrales other local com- munity organisations. Calls from the floor were for needed the of action

SUIL

smash the l ory orfensive John Butta, peakin behalf of Ealing NÚT said tha Tory-controlled Ealing Council's proposals tor cuts in 1980-81 were the worst in the board, across a total of £3.4 million in cash terms. Butta said that Ealing had of 50 ended contracts cut the wage bill. Ealing NUT would fight this by a policy of no cover for the vacant posts. Opposition from the had been cuts teachers to the overwhelming Wirs a VoLC LUl all the schoots in the borough in favour of action. that the

NUT

zuccu of NUPE, would need Ine helo

NALGO

and the frohting Droposals to either cul school meals anode nel charge inflated prices. Times are hard for the of right wing leaders Britain's third largest union -the GMWU. Their efforts at curbing the militancy of their members have suffered three rebuffs in as many weeks. Pay offers to water workers and workers have gas out by delegate conter-

UITOWIL

ences despite endorsement by GMWU official negotiators.

delegates AlIC last rIday representing the union's 16,000 shipbuilding workers threw out 112%-with-strings wiclucu pay recommended leaders of the Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions-which includes the

MWU.

The self-funding is contin- further 3,000 gent upon oi last redundancks

LUD

year's 6.000 and

OST

o Os. equires also improved produc- and working practices" at twity : varo lever GMWU delegates seem more

UNION

DUES

He said that public sector unions have to get together to light the cuts Urridge of the GMWU Bro. echoed this necessity and said the axeing of school meals

TORL

would mean the loss of 150 jobs locally. Sue Easton said that teachers should realise the importance ol school students being organised and that the National Union of would Students School implementing sunke action Maternity beds the Delegates learnt of proposals to close Perivale Hos- pital which would mean the loss all beds in maternity HealTh DISTICu resolution calling for, support to among other things, occupations threatened Wright revived Bob Wright, the hitherto dormant Broad Left Assis- tant General Secretary of the AUEW has re-emerged from self-assumed obscurity to contend for the union's presidency against Terry Duffy. This exercise cynicism come to light seems

AUEW

two becaust

OILY

research assistants were sackeo disc afke for miscon- Wright after assisting compile matema Duffy and the right wing exec- GMWU rebutted Report Deynell concerned at remcing ane sce differentials pay in the the than cutting 111 mulsty extensive strings to the offer.

But their show ol moesen' dence must serve as a further the Basnett embarassment that and a warning cadersnip, their for betrayal wide as they nowhere near as woule wisd Costalll

AT THE TOP....

the full public facilities, information of •usCiosulc relating aULO UY spending plans and accounts and inflation proofing of all JoI uIc public future expenditure services was passed unanimous- Affiliate The Liaison Committee marked a major step forward in Tse nento Dme tozeue luusc forces who are willing to fight the cuts as a means of coordin- ating and developing the neces- sary action. Local militants! should that their trade branches anae o v…y and should campaign TheT branches for the sort of national plans strike agase cac dores that can bring their downfall.

utive. Wright to pose alternative to Duffy could well historical require extens ve since on none of the major issues facing the AUEW ir the last vear-the BL crisis; the Confed struggle;. the Robinson viei visioe, has visible,

WI ODU

(rall alone a vocal critic of the right wing. Despite his previous record CP-led o occ will Broad Left, Wright distinguished himself by failing to appear even platform defence uLce -at of Derek Robinson TIme when nght wing AuDw Icaacl: Hiere consciously boy cortig the The fact that the Broad Left is forced to TeSTTeCL Nm ds candidate to Duffy speaks volumes on the crisis of leader- ship within the AUEW. The Meccano occupation is now 80 days old. From the start, however, the issue has been rigorously restric- ted to one of notice and redundancy pay.

GMWU

Basnett useo District Official and former Meccano, Mike convenor the wishes Egan, to cay

OUT

Executive the National throughout the dispute.

GMWU

role the 111C bureaucrac nas been

I LO DOE

the occupation in the direction for private buyers and confine the whole occu- Damon to ure caoaust Drobert market. firm offered to When negotiate a takeover on con- that the union would dition

- I'M NOT MOVING!

LAUEW

.THROUN OUT BY EDWARDES? YES! DID HEAR

DOnLHNA, PUNNITOU SOLD RENOM-Oa»

DUFFY'S JUST SACKED 2 OF MY RESEARCHERS FOR

MUCH LESS...

Open the books! levels or the trading position of ditional on 102 pages of string The job of the committe the Company. will be to prepare a report or Unsold the financia and trading has Cowley stock level figures position of the company and to "open Alleged established its 100,000 cars, investigate exactly what stocks anco e committee"-first books which carried daily in the are held are formed in 1976. by challenged The report could play an

PIOSS

dl c pressing the the stewards, suspect that B The move follows important

JOIC H

leadership of the BL JNC to call may exaggerating

ITS

introduction of lay-olis at the undoubted financia and sales strike in support of the action plant under conditions wnere to force through £24 claim submitted reveal any informaticn on sto tk management refused •week CINS m orucI its 5% pay offer which is con- by the unions last uclobel Robinson from back page This be transformed West District Committee to call must next into all-out strike action out the members in Longbridge But instead of calling rnaay WAC JIS lW the CP and week ultimatum runs out. immediate strike commit- BTOZOLeI

COLLOICU

tee put off the strike decisios

PHOTO:

company two This gave the On the same day and Roby omi metin Coway use the

WOCK.

HIvsi exploit the Executive's repor

DOU

When the District Commit- domw emranweR abscauu against a written waring which passed the calt put to them by met 2 in the company's stage disciplinary procedure. the CP-controlled Works Com mittee at Longbridge to put the BL management calmiy strike call to a mass meeting of announced that in his case not both unions on the Wednesday.

jumped the first O la LIC finished the job. The stage, any natne praaie Repor company made full use of their 1e suspension leil s mop more The level 40 nours bicalnig space,

BUNDELSUI

only chance of a strike would procedure and would been if the DC had instruc- dismissed This clearly serious

KODISO

LeO une Vul al and put a picket on the gates of the AUEW bureaucracy move Hinde by u maa elck supporters produced a By their actions the right strenghened by • the Robinson and CP weakened the refusal to call an! the well- wing success. leafle cenanam! throughout the strikes by bureaucracy attended conference organise orsailsdl

AUEW

the fact that they have just laid lobby of mass workers everywhere. off Richardson's section for a bACCaLv Yet there is still a 3-2 vote But this appeal was ignored, month Leyland strike "crime"? for Richardson's and everybody went home to do LOuELOul Stopping a line that had been no thing. action _Ove Le sTo Day OLIC. intoe m sik ay waning. The AUEW Executive report and 92-page 'strings' document.

within Longbridge Even in BL to derend shop must simultaneously attacked reports that the feel- Robinson and .called for his tree are reinstatement. Then the EC gave ing is still there on pay, despite stewards from the Robinson vote. tion. the power tO le tion very quickly. He is by far part of Egan withdraw and make the factory the to end the potential occupation; starve the member- reply was the most impressive nouched n in buyer we have had far. He pay for months of strike couchca appiobllalc SIle Anglo-Saxon four letter words seems very workers on end; refuse to • organse ln but instead grovelling cata- participation. blacking of the Airfix combine; "During his visit he stressed to futile token logue of whining reassurances oi Iesul. alliul that some of the machinery at Anilin coladement were forte- collaboration with occupations oi company nead quarters; refuse to lobby and Haoe ane wa e ou date but that something could national

GMWU

the come. Occuy be done about it. Executive Nationa no vacating willingness of Egan to must be headquarters; refuse to organise The 28 of the factory on Thursday a local levy of the GMWU J mem- co-oderate with a new manage- February, thé date of the ending mated Vay thr action give to- was graphically bership on Merseyside: reluse tc oenole the Ua y reuulual mobilis UVIwU buyer. notices. membership for local demon- recent prospective strations. After meeting une company occupation The must be strategy has been to representative at the airport him on a tour maintained unti the iobs of all offer no serious took • way lorward factory. His workers ате guaranteed The wait for demoralisation to set in of the ISoCCuOl has and then turn round and blame afterwards fact that redundancy pay reaction wa. follows: paid out with the the membership ior drawing the

HOW

connivance of the union bureau- logical conclusion was ver im pressed by

OI TNS

crats will not help this.

no thing policy and accepting what Mr. Gough had to say. H seems to have grasped the situa.

redundancy money. uws cascous moya vl

.. IF TPS ANYTHING ABOUT THAT CONFED

LOOK! DONT BLEAT TO MI ABOUT DEREX ROBINSON

PAY SELL-OUT, THEY CAN MONN TO SOMEONE

-I'VE GOT TO ENKN A LIVING YOU KNOW!..

ELSE ! ( MAYBE LEFI

WHATS THAT... HUMILLATED, WAS HE?.

-BUT NOT

THAT LEFT!

..LIKE RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT!

LOOK SON, DONT START TELLING ME MY JOB-

I'M NOT ONE OF THOSE TRENDY LEFTWINGERS

Y'KNOW! I'M JUST A TRADITIONAL BROAD LEFT

CANDIDATE! IVE GOT

BETTER THINGS TO DO..

PRESS

Lobby to kill off Corrie This Friday coming be the decisive day might in the life of John Corrie's anti-abortion Bill. Bill, widely by Tory backed Mrs and Dy Labourites who reactionary wish to intensify the oppression or women neces wu officially backed by the govern- - This means that, unless some at mmate circe takes bace.

therefore, ; the time available to debate Corrie's proposals and TEne them should run out on Friday.

The capitalist Hopefully this will sink not gloating bans lo oullaw up legal of. Derek two-thirds presently abortions through measures voted down at a mass meet- charities and private ing of the Longbridge work-

DUE

force. "compromise" restriction of the time limit for abortions uppet said that to 24 weeks of pregancy -passed • Two weeks ago. Malazers crely wilcie. Such outcome the views of clear the reflect and of 80% employers maionity of adults. membersil be a matter apparatus of tne unions between decided only (and her officials concealed doctor. But pressure still needs to be see things similarly, MPs Deal what they have done" ensure Corrie's law is defeated.

The National Abortion Cam- of The mass meeting was only the called for a lobby Parliament February. We urge. readers to directed attend. Growing outcry at Rhodesia election fraud "You're not believing all this rubbish about me being is not that a Marxist, are you?" Robert along with Mugabe asked a gathering of leaders and the Rhodesian businessmen last week.

CASH NEEDED!

With only a few days to go to the end of the month we are still well short of our target of £750. With only £527.80 received, we are left with very little time indeed to find the remaining f222.20. At the same time we are still well short of the first €1,000 in our £3,000 Special Fund, Our aim is to reach the half way mark by Easter. At present we have only £733.65 towards this total. Clearly, then, we are calling for a big response from our readers and supporters to ensure that these funds, which essential for the maintenance of our paper and the are development of our work both nationally and internation- ally, are raised. So ery not see if you can send us a donation. Our address is: Socialist Press Fund BM Box 5277 London WC1V 6XX

SOCIALIST

ROBINSON

BETRAYAL

BOOSTS BL

E ATTACK

over the spectacle Robinson being Michael Edwardes correctly this would strengthen the help of the with

. AUEW

. press. Is

.. WOE

"comrades" in strength of • the resting the the Communist Party. the opposed to the It is no accident that union howardes ceouty. was ull threatening particularly the night. before, Robinson and the Morning Star) closure. Management had been given week mier will "regret three months for a propaganda campaign inside the plant while press did the job is very different. outside. b in the But we must also look at the the general situation BL. There by employers and the leadership of are two major complexes, Long resumption of the civil war—in The answer to the question Mugabe prevent recorded: but it is plain fraudulent the win nine the nodesan cavitalsis "elections" next week the imperialist at he stand coin South African stands racist regime are determined to revealed that pletely lilass go to any lengins-mcwang d struggles by the working class and poor peasants of Zimbabwe industry, expropriale banks, ane mao cannons an interview in Newsweek responded to Masabul, spread nationalisation" with the categoric one-line response: "No nationalisation has been planned." at the same time the But their allies and an oerlasts recognise that

VICTOTY

Mugabe and the defeat of hi right wing opponent would spu black Masse. Zimbabwe, whose demands for immediate to resolve would material problems pressure to beat on the unstable petty bourgeois ZANU(PF) leadership. With imperialist investments and huge natural resources and with the crucia stake; maintaining In bol talle political stability in Zimbabwe Fullibed as tols ate at the ordere Sociatin delue do not 527 Minder eye sorted neis inters don.

judged stewards we any was thims wouldn't get Because (there ongoing witch-hunt in the plant -supported • since 1914 ralLy even witchhunt over as convenor bridge and Cowley. •or ears When Robinson was first took place the CP members sacked strikes decimated deputies Longbridge, Castle Bromwich organisation. and Canley. Not involved the union branches but it is still organisation. - involved' Cowley Was

NO E

because Robinson and Prior to TeOW Stalinist Jack

(TGWU

have been the told support of Robinson. Longbridge) convenor a convenors not to •try strike where they might lose.

1se0. The Assembly Plant senior sitting to protect the South African them apartheid/capitalist state imperialists are unwilling to take chances whatever. even greater strength: very This is why, from the Magabe and nave beet the • reactionary endorsed agreement, paid by the Lancaster House "ceasefire" the country at will, beatin election ano ne have been a transparent fraud and While Mugabe and Nkomo oppose ats. their persuade Vicious struggled propaganda septical gueris super sed British-supervised underway points-thus making assembly munnaalon. series attempts. the Rhodesian nave planting discredit Mugabe moves of Governor soames been exposed Muzorewa Robinson: CP paved way for betrayal that they the witch-hunting of Bob Fryer meeting and Alan Thornett betrayals helped ensure been That when oracrea workforce at Longbriage bac Communist to monk to des to carry out : was successfu helped the because me strike was Isolated Robinson right winger Reg Parsons to take The. job was that But in done which he and the following months the Com- other right wingers, along with munist farty ; he used as his the union Jamboree The left is now back in the major positions in the plant, and The first moves were made the special conference at having to reconstruct the union Januart case The rally was domaca 1974 Cowley would by the CP a jamboree that • Tirst olane out & became But ever sowed confusion about the role: since Robinson has been victim- with Cont'd page 11 along the right wing. have continued Mugabe addresses mass rally porters were allegedly prevent- for targets Rhodesian jets and land forces ing other parties holding meet- Guardian reporter d1s- smith and Muzorewas securil.

that four parties had covered forces" have been deployed in held without trouble a total of 36 meetings! called and Elsewhere the evidence Muzorewa's vicious "auxiliaries' points to savage intimidation have ranged state, white up capitalists. farmers and have thrown their weight in the whose international main behind Muzorewa election• lunas are plainly aiso Call ball ¡las by South African accusins supporters of using violence and finance. himself 'Nkomo Musaut backing of the Soviet bureau- and his candidates have suffered about a -seeking to bring assassination cantal coandon covernmenl that will hold back revolution- Meanwhile senior officers of ary struggles in Southern Africa Selous motives, the for simila red handed British monopoly conno bombs designed Yet the British and South governments not African are At every turn the desperate to such moves carissed WILl) shape the outcome prevent a Mugabe victory have week's poll. The election itsell Cont'd p. 2, col. 4 "Ted areas here gate sca supposed