Socialist Press no. 19

"OPEN LEYLAND'S

BOOKS" REMMOS LIGTED

SOCIALIST

PRESS *

British Leyland management demonstrated last week the crucial importance the employers attach to the defence of business secrets from the working class. After first offering to open the books of the Cowley Assembly Plant in order to prove" their case for speed-up and voluntary redundancy - they kept them firmly closed when confronted with a shop stewards demand that the books be inspected by a committee specifically elected from the shop stewards committee for that purpose. Leyland's surprise offer to open had been sworn to secrecy over the books in Cowley was coupled Ryder!? to their anounce ment of intended Stewards argued that a published speed up and volüntary redundanc, balance sheet would be of little broughout the combine which value. Information declared must carried the implied threat of com- include the stock positions includ- pulsory redundancy to follow.

ing finished cars and their locations In an attempt to isolate each - such figures are not normally plant the capitalist press and tele- disclosed. They must show details vision, which have given massive of their cash flow position, again coverage to Leyland over the past crucial information which is not months, are suddenly silent on the normally available, and full overall figures of cuts throughout details of all expenditure.

the combine. But it is clear that It was clear in the debate that every major plant in the Cars Divis- the strength of the policies ion is affected. Over 1,000 jobs are developed resulted from the to go at Longbridge and in Cowley decision six months earlier to Leyland intend to axe 466 manual elect from the shop stewards workers and 108 staff in the Body comme an open tne books Plant and 730 manual and 130 staff committee to stait the campaign in the Assembly Plant. for the books to be opened and begin to study the workings of

SPEED-UP

BL - a decision which was hard fought, with the motion to set In Cowley the attack is severe.

up the committee only carried Management expect the 18,000 by 102 votes to 101. workers in the complex to accept By the end of last Friday's these cuts with a simultaneous meeting the only voice raised increase in production, in the Ass- against resistance to the cuts was embly Plant, of 1 car per hour on Reg Parsons, the extreme figl This is straight speed up caci Lak. winger installed as convenor and presented as such by manage- after the victimisation and witch ment. In a letter to all workers hunt of Alan Thornett a year and the Plant Director asks them to a half ago. co-operate and "to work a little harder. Do you think that is too•

REJECTION

much in view of the extreme gravity of the situation".

Motions were moved rejecting Under these conditions Leyland hope to achieve the cuts by direct for the immediate convening of the attack. Their announcement last open the books committee to Thursday makes it clear that prepare and circulate a report to manning and relief agreements expose the company's case, and are to be broken and work study a further motion that when the findings completed over the last books are opened the open the 18 months arè to be implemented books committee will be in attend- in full. ance. These resolutions were carried almost unanimously despite

5-HR DISCUSSION

the pleas of Parsons. The open the books committee The announcement of the cuts met and prepared its report over the was followed by a full meeting weekend, and produced 2,000 on Friday morning, of all 250 copies. On Monday morning the Assembly Plant shop stewards.

deputy convenors appointed to The meeting debated all the issues involved for almost 5 hours circulate the reports on behalf of the JSSC refused to do so and before taking decisions. asked management to lock them At tae centre ot the discussion was the management's offer to AmAe koi alAa cn - pending a meeting of the JSSC open the books. The offer was welcomed by many of the speak- sub-committee the next day.

Some of the reports however, which ers but a number of crucial quest- ions were posed: How much had been taken by the stewards before they were locked up, began to information would actually be revealed? Who would they be circulate in the plant and there was a considerable impact particularly opened to? Would the information had been spent on redecorating the plant director's offices.

By Wednesday widespread pressure in the factory and demänds for the circulation of the report resulted in an approach by the conyenors to management asking for the reports in order that they could be distributed. Management refused, saying that the reports were now impounded as "subversive literature" When the Oxford Mail appeared that evening it carried a lengthy "refutation' of the report headed $€23,000 speat on office claim * denied and went on to say that they had only spent £300 on the office.

DERISION

A roar of derision went up from the plant at the f300 figure and the widespread demand was voiced - Why go to the press? Open the books and prove it! Next day television and national press coverage, although completely biased and continuing to ignore the main body of the report (which took up the management's case for speed up, demolished their figures and demonstrated how they can manipulate their cash fhow, placed demands on information required when the books were opened, and called for Leyland to be nationalised) stimulated expectancy for the opening of the books the next day. On Friday morning a represent- ative of the open the books committee waited with the.

who had informed

VULCHU.

management of the demand that the committee be in attendance, for confirmation of this and the place of the meeting. The reply eventually came that the elected committee would not under any circumstances be allowed into the meeting. On this basis the convenors also refused to attend and no meeting , took place. The interest the fight had devel- oped in the town was shown by the Oxford Mail stop press item: "Open the Books Committee, tormed at Cowley Car Assembly Plant, refused admission to talks at which BL plan to reveal further details of factory finances."

SECRETS

Management was meanwhile pressing on with their fight and developing an argument to defend business secrets. The Oxford Times on the day the books shoald have been opened had this to say: "But if participation is to be effective; there will be many occasions when Leyland will have to give confidential information to workers' representatives. And they will be reluctant to do so if

FORTNIGHTLY PAPER OF THE

WORKERS SOCIALIST LEAGUE

NO 19 * October 15th 1975 * 10p

COMMITTEE

The employers offensive against jobs and wages found political expression last week in the Tory Party conference Strengthened by Wilson's reac- tionary policies, the Thatcher leadership was able to claim that mass unemployment and plumm- etting living standards were the outcome of "socialism" Of course, the usual Conserva- tive Party rabid right-wingers paraded on the platform in supp ort of Franco's murders, capita punishment and "law and order" But behind this was a determined preparation of the leadership to bid for the mass support of the middle class in order to drive out the Labour government at the next election. Not that kind words were not said about the efforts of Wilson's cabinet on behalf of the employ- ers. Sir Keith Joseph defended ex-left Michael Foot as "patriot- i"o his credit he has learned lesson number one - that in- flation destroys jobs," quoted Joseph, before proceeding to siam into the offensive against "socialism". William Whitelaw differentiated between good and bad points of Wilson's pol- icy, stating confidently clearly that "When they are pursuing soci- alist measures we shall do everything in our power to defeat them. But conspicuous also was the call for worker participation" schemes put forward by Tory Peter Walker, stressing the imp-

TORIES BID FOR

MIDDLE CLASS

profits." This reflected a new under- standing of the value of the bur- eaucratic leaders of workers organisations to the speed-up proposals necessary for the em- ployers in the coming period.

The bid for middle class supp- ort centred on whipping up nat- ionalist sentiments, support for private health and education, attacks on taxation and stress on the importance of the "ind- ividual". . This found most stud- ied expression in Thatcher's set prece closing speech, where she spelled out the middle class "vision": "A man's right to work as he will, to spend what he earns, to own property, to have the state as servant and not as mas ter... Under conditions where 1¼ million are denied the right to work by capitalism, and millions more are excluded from ever being able to "own property" by speculators and monopolists, Thatcher uses these illusions to deceive and rally the middle class - many of whom themselves are facing impoverishmient as a result not ot socialism, but of the capitalist policies of the Wilson government. As we have consistently warned since Socialist Press No.2, the dour to extreme reaction is be ing opened by the betrayals of this government. The need to remove the right- wing Labour leadership in order to present a clear alternative to the Tories has never been great-

Page 2

SPAIN

liberation With more fighters to face about of execution, the wave demonstrations and protests place in Spain taking now that the Spanish show class is strong and working prepared openly to noW fight the France regime. In following the protests the five Basque executions fortnight ago, demon- militants a shouting anti--ranc SualUIs were prepared to risk the gunfire of the police. Last Tuesday hundreds joined demonstration blocking Barcelona, traffic, and openly shouting leaflets before the distributing police arrived.

PETTY BOURGEOIS

are far These demonstrations more significant than the rally held Plaza de Oriente in Madrid at the commemorate the last week Fascist victory in the Civil War, at 150,000 petty-bourgeois which with Franco supporters, together functionaries of the Fascist regime, all over Spain were brought from to hear the aging dictator announce that Spain was under assault by an "leftist Masonic international conspiracy. As the demonstrations mount, of execution and the counter police increases - the past week - the Franco regime consolid- ates itself behind its last defences of armed force, butchery and torture.

of Fascist police bastion

ZUIC

rule, the Guardia Civil, has been

PORTUGAL

NORTH AND SOUTH UNITE

Soldiers march through Lisbon The long-standing division between the north and south of Portugal has been broken down, at least inside the army.

It is now in Oporto that the midnight Potemkin-like scenes involving soldiers, sailors and familiar only workers, once in Lisbon, take place. have And these meetings from 18 involved delegates units a delega- in the North, including tion from the most northern town in Portugal - Chaves. The sharpest developments have the closure 3rd followed on October of the CICAP (Centre for the Instruction of Vehicle Drivers) barracks Oporto, by v eloso. commander of the Northern Region.

The soldiers voted unanimously against this and elected a 'CICAP On 6th re-opening October the 600 CICAP soldiers led an enormous demonstration of and soldiers over 30,000 workers through Oporto to their barracks to demand its re-opening.

They demonstrated outside the guarded by barracks, of a "crack" of force until 3am

COPCON,

on ruesory when they voted to conduct their campaien from the artillery

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

its force the US ruling class, in

US BACKS FASCISTS

search for an area of 'stability' in Europe of Southern as base aperation tose most oppressive most oppressive given a new 'hard line' commander dictatorship in Europe. for the preparation reasons it 1s no

SHOT

escalation of confrontations with surprise to find the ambassadors of crawling the

EEC

countries

NOW

increasingly to Guardia Civil as the back to Madrid - only hours after fractures appear the terse statement from the EEC owIl armed forces. The arrest last Wed- that "negotiations between the EEC nesday of three more army officers the question of and Spain lon in Barcelona adds to those arrested be trade concessions] cannot last summer on charges of sedition.

resumed at this time" In this situation the US ruling Meanwhile the French Foreign class predictably emerges has let it Minister, Sauvagnarnes, Franco's much-needed ally. far he is that as Anxious to keep his four military concerned trade talks with Spain - Ford abstained from bases in Spain, the vital to Franco, the chorus of hypocritical protest EEC countries take nearly half of and withdrawal of ambassadors by • Spanish could exports Te- West European governments commence at any time. following the executions.

Alongside this, the the US The deal renewing massive and still growing European bases in Spain was signed military investment in Spain depends, in a As last week in Washington. situation. of world economic crisis, Schlesinger Defence Set retart is ill advised profitability on the fascist: for its succinctly put it: destruction of the trade unions and to allow our security arrangements workers organisations and the con- subject to the current sequently low wages of Spanish be volatility of international and workers. domestic politics" For these reasons, the capitalist It is precisely the "volatility" Western Europe or class, either in of the working class internationally in Spain itself, is unable, even if some liberal elements would prefer, American ruling that class to reveal its true attitudes to Franco with a stable to replace Franco. bourgeois democracy The increase of a further 10% The extension of democratic

OPEC

the price of oil by tights to the Spanish working class the need of American underlines will come immediately into conflict capital to show it is prepared for with the profitability of capitalist bring another Middle East war to investment in Spain. That is why should the the oil price, the successor to Fascism can

COWS

only be a workers' republic. precarious state of capitalism in the this. At the The establishment of a united US necessitate same time the withdrawal of Greece from front workers' parties to lead NATO, the refusal of US bases by general strike action to bring down Turkey, the Portuguese revolution Franco must, therefore, be the first and the increasing militancy of the step towards the formation of a Italian workers, all combine workers' government in Spain.

voted 387 to 7 to support their Lisbon itself, of course, has the

CICAP

soldiers On action. As not quiet this week. 3,000 Monday marched in, workers demonstrated in the walls to "red remained around of support the

RACIS

support them in case of any moves regiment" commander, after its against them. Dinis de Almeida, said on Radio- fact, though Veloso Club that he feared an attack on threatened to bombard them if they the barracks. Three cannons now did not leave by Tuesday night, he adorn the front of the barracks and has been unable to carry out this 30 soldiers are permanently on threat. guard. Tuesday night's meeting at the Beja airbots thadorder te At barracks was by the had punctuated transfer pilots greeted the delegates cheers rescinded after 1000 militants from 18 northern regiments in the beseiged the barracks. south. It was past midnight when The organised working class has 24 the delegates Chaves trom also been flexing muscles.

HELS

arrived. Several thousand steel workers on strike answered the call of the CP

DEMANDS

and Trade Unions to march through However, the CP is Lisbon.

CICAP

re-opening hold back the desperate to issued its independent developments of the committee valll valeil They included calling for demands. working class. They dominated the an end to militarist discipline which demonstration with the slogan: the "guard-dogs of the "Vasço must return!" made them bourgeoisie"; the removal of Veloso, The stalinists, however, have the immediate re-opening of CICAP made all sorts of statements about and an alliance between workers, the "counter-offensive supporting The forces" and sailors. and have popular peasants. Sorulers the other units denounced Mario Soares delegates _trom correctly their call for an all-Europe conference of decided Socratism and fight for "immediate barracks Socialist and Communist Parties to discuss Portugal.

PPD,

extreme right-wing a desperate moves are in government, then mobil- back party manoeuvre to try to win forthcoming ised a huge support in the union Wednesday night and marched to Serra do Pilar, opposing the CICAP

DIVERSION

soldiers' They were met by only a few hundred workers Stalinists' Central to the assembled quickly who had is to divert away from strategy protect the barracks. their coalition with PPD reaction.

A cordon of unarmed saldiers and the right wing of the aries was out between the two camps to provisional the sixth

AFM

in avoid bloodshed, but proved workers and government. The the advance of impossible to stop. soldiers now forcing the pace il the reactionaries. Fighting ensued spontaneous struggle must demand 60 which and shots rang out, now of the various workers' parties people were wounded. break all links with the that they The Northern Region command-

AFM

and bourgeois parties and er at this point wanted to send in a workers' government bo form lachine guns against th motorised and through the carry economnie barracks, ta political changes necessary plan because of the superior fire the defend jobs and wages in power of the regiment and its good growing economic crisis. strategic position. Central to this demand is the Fighting continued until 6am.

of consolidation ana extension One side was singing the inter committees of workers and peasants other the nationale and the which must link with committees of soldiers Portuguese anthem. The rank and file soldiers and sailors on decided to organise another demon- a local, regional and national basis stration fad elected dele torto to the all-out paving way factories the north

SOCIALIST PRESS,

CARILLO BACKTRACKS

The execution of five anti- fascist militants on September Franco has forced 27th by Party Spanish Communist Carillo General Secretary retreat on his pledge of to support for a future govern- ment of 'national unity under Bourbon heir apparent Prince Juan Carlos. article in (see Socialist Press of October 1st).

After Juan Carlos appeared at Franco's side on the balcony of the Royal Palace in Madrid at a fascist rally celebrate the executions to the shift to extreme and bolster Carillo repression by the regime, "liberal" gave an interview to Paris magazine "It will not be sufficient", he said, "to replace Franco by Juan Carlos for the road to be open to Juan Carlos is only acholary. puppet' Attempting COVe his own tracks, he criticised. those who looked to a political solution for Spain under Franco's nominee:

SRAEL

A wave of protest swept th Israeli ports of Haifa and Ashdor last week following the jail sentence dockworkers' leader inflicted Yeochoua Peres. jail faced a month He two plus a fine three term, ot over for the 'crime' hundred pounds, of calling a strike in the ports

MALAYSIA

The Malayasian cabinet last week finalised measures that amount to the imposition of a police state - in an attempt contain the rising struggle to Prime of liberation forces. Tun Abdul Razak Minister decreed emergency legislation 'security police and giving forces the right to round up suspects and hold them with repression: follows The new within the last month by actions illegal the military wing of the Communist Party, the Malayasian the blowing cluding Monument' Kuala 'National - a 250 Lumpar (the capital) statue celebrating the bronze ton 'victory' (with the government's help of the most savage repression during the Malay asian emergency in the 1950 British troops) and an attack on the headquarters of the notorious paramilitary Police Field Force'. This followed a series of other clashes in the countryside liberation fighters and between See disent to or cocain ne caches of rice discovery and equipment hidden by guerrilla forces for use in future campaigns.

• Razak's dictatorship is Abdul centring its drive on the villages the poor, in the state of Pahang, heavily forested region in central east of the capital. Based Malaysia particularly on the Chinese popul- an increasingly oppressed ation - under the govern- national group ment's policy of 'bumiputras': preference towards Malay-speakers Communist the Party is now Wednesday 15th October, 1975 Franco and Juan Carlos greeting last week's staged demonstration "It is a political mistake, as I have already said; the process of demo- will take cratising Spain place without Juan Carlos, if not against Carillo's latest 'formulae' democracy in Spain are an obscene he hypocrisy. month . ago was collaboration with this proposing reactionary Prince - only when Juan Carlos appears in public at Franco's elbow the day after the executions are the Stalinist leaders forced to take their distance from the murder- Carillo con- er's apprentice. And firmed that the CP fully intends *peaceful road' on

SOCC

Spanish workers, and that he fears above all the prospect of revolution- "I think, I still hope that despite the latest murders ordered by Franco one can avoid a civil war without and bring in democracy generalised violence breaking out. But if the regime applied new death it risks unleashing sentences popular movement and condemning Spain to a bloodbath"

ZIONISTS JAIL UNION

LEADER

without giving the period of prior warning laid down by the Zionist state's anti-working class

ADOU

laws. The sentence on Peres is the most serious ever brought against a member of the labour movement in Israel for purely trade union 'offences'

POLICE STATE LAWS

IMPOSED

in almost every village in the area.

with this situation, govern- To deal ment officials are already debating the reintroduction of some of the most brutal measures of the 'emer- gency' years One of these is so-called 'food denial' - severs penalties for carrying around in the quantities of food admission countryside - an by the government that it is dealing minority but with not wilh a movement that has mass support in the rural areas The new legislation has even provoked protest from almost the Malaysian legal profession entire well as of prolonged As powers the authorities will also detention, now make it compulsory for judges to give maximum sentences, do away allow denunciations with juries, from children and anonymous abolish the witnesses, appeals to Privy Council in London, and above all place the burden of proof on the accused person. It is clear that the drive to the right by the Malaysian regime is an attempt to crush a liberation move ment that has gained strength and from victories encouragement I the Indochina and the adsance of in liberation movements in neighbour- ing southern Thailand. Abdul Raz ak's government now returns - with British the tacit support of the government - to the same methods of police terror that were used in that 'emergency' by British officers.

The British labour and trade union movement must take up the defence of the Malaysian workers, peasants and students, whose basic rights being trampled under are again font hu a client regime : of British

PORTUGUESE REVOLUTION

WHAT IS THE WORKERS SOCIALIST LEAGUE ?

SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 15th October, 1975 Part Two By John Docherty Each day there are 10 W fresh reports of the further intensification of the revolu- tionary in Portugal. CrISIS Constantly there are new mani- festations of the audacity and confidence of militant workers, revolutionary rank and file soldiers, and well-organised sections of farm. labourers, as each in turn come into conflict with the capitalist state and with all those who continue to and support it. maintain The compelling dynamic of the revolutionary process tests at each new turn all those who claim to speak for the interests of the masses. It is hardly surprising that the issues raised by the great events in Portugal have provoked the most furious debates and splits within workers organisations in every part struggle of the world. There have even been some pale reflections of this within and with the higher reaches inter- from among the national Stalinist and social demo- cratic bureaucracies. "his is because the social con- vulsion now sweeping Portugal open the possibility for the first time for Europe of the masses main decades in taking things into their own hands.

This has a resounding effect on the balance of political calculations and the press etc., class forces in every part of the from the world. Developments on the streets of Lisbon and Oporto, in the ship- class. the barracks of yards of Lisnave Coimbra or the fields of Alentejo the North, passing interest. with every are _oi no mere They will soon be spilling out into all of Europe. The victories and they defeats of the Portuguese are our victories and defeats also, peasants of the of inability and the issues they raise are develop immediate and pressing importance to the workers in every part of the world. movement

SOARES

becan to In a previous article we have ooked the with the lying hypocrisy of the leaders of the Portuguese Socialist left of them Party. The warm reception accorded All of to the counter-revolutionary Soares by the Labour leaders fresh from Aucust. their efforts to reduce the living throw of the British working class at Blackpool the other week government. is a clear confirmation of the real direction of the meaning of the 'Marxist' phrases that continue to come from the SP leaders.

reports indicate that there are fewer workers to be found on their demon- strations, but there can be no doubt that they continue to exercise hold over important sections of the for revolutionary Portuguese working class.

One major explanation for this working class. situation nroduced a Portuguese Communist Patty. Stalinist This organisation emerged from the Italy, fascist period with a record of The Workers Socialist League was formed on December 22nd 1974 as part of the fight to carry forward the method and principles of Trotsky's Transitional Programme, ional. The WSL now represents the continuity of the struggle for these principles in the workers movement. The formation of the League members from the Workers Revolutionary Party, carried out bureaucrat- ically by the WRP leadership in order to prevent discussion of their own abandonment of the Programme both in mass expusions showed that there coud be no hope oi correcting WRP - an independent organisation had to be founded to maintain fight for Trotskyism. Such a split came out of particular conditions. The rapid development of the economic crisis of capitalism and class, which has now overthrown imperialism in Vietnam world working and Cambodia, began to produce the conditions to build revolutionary parties internationally. At such a point the importance of a fight for the method and principles of the Transitional Programme, against both sectarianism and opportunism is paramount in the preparation of revolutionary leadership.

period. of isolation from the mass movement, as the only tendency with a programme and a history of struggle to lead the working class in the taking of power.

The defence of jobs through the fight for work sharing on full pay, run by trade union committees; agreements to include a sliding scale to compensate ficht for all wage

PROBLEMS OF THE

Soldiers, sailors and workers demonstrate in Lisbon on August 25th.

against the dictatorship, of the active support major sections of workers, notably acceptable. heavy industries around Lisbon and the agricultural thus significant step areas of the South. document on period after the the early coup the Communist Party had two policies: to win as

LCI.

This "unity" many possible within the of the

'COPCON

bourgeois state apparatus, the army.

drafted by the largely and to hold back the PRP (the group any challenge to capitalism arising British IS) militancy of the working criticisms of the CP itself.

We heard that at the over the As they took machinery of local government in and stood foursquare the about twist and turn in policies of the Armed Forces Move into the document. signed it. Their ment and its successive governments, became identified by the try to break out of their isolation.

with the North From of the to policies to serve their important ifth provisional As the CP denounced one strike overthrown. In another, after they of the lose their control over were sections of militant workers who Ior a determined policy Thus at the increasingly towards to the the various organisations 16th September and the big demon- stration this brought about the efforts increasing isolation of the CP during valiant culminating in the

OVC•

of their champion Vasco members Goncalves and his fifth provisional slogans with support of the bourgeois politicians The CP strikes has also clearly had to

ELECTIONS

changed, CP General Secretary, Cuhnal, organisation of the one-day out in Alentejo on 17th September, a most consistent supporter of every form of Stalinist class collaboration and their in the past has been forced to make workers earlier this month.

statements about the inimportance to reconcile the ordinary followers of electoral arithmetic and the need vigilance' of the CP with by the This has inevitably association of their party with the great flurrying in the new sixth dovecots if France which is clearly y to become more so where electoral arithmetic is the only form of politics ever con- the foundma cocument of the Hourth internat level of political consciousness followed the expulsion of over 200 method.

HOT

centred on a break theory and in practice. These the the struggles in this period - not only party. the forward movement of the Soviet Union as a workers state, After a hard Trotskyism now emerges Trotskyist, the defence of living standards through the programme. f01 sidered, and in Spain where alliance moves in against any of the initiat- with neo-fascists appears to be quite ives of rank and file soldiers with of talk of the need to ore law and order For the Stalinists also it was restore iliar throughout the world.

to sign a 25th August together with various 'left' organisations in-

ATTACKS

cluding even the "Trotskyists' of the was in support The CP leaders ever document' of the government mcmocis • centrists of forced politically to attack it.

linked to the however different they appear, how- and included even some ever much they adapt to the aspir of. the ations masses meeting follow them, the CP will certainly where the agreement was discussed, continue to to. any the CP representatives said nothing length to deliver the working class what policies should be put hand and foot They just , class and its state. purposes In the complex and fast chang ing political situation, it is inevitable of point of view that groups to the left of the the CP, however, this tactic suffered will grow. At this stage, there can set-back when the be seen the development of a whole was series of centrist organisations, the weeks that some cases commanding fairly large followed the rank and file members followings working the clearly looking The main political essence of these groups is their inability to distin- meeting held at guish between the role of the var- Campo Pacqueno in Lisbon on ious social classes in the revolution- ary process, resulting in their sub- days later, despite ordination of the political independ- it was impossible to get thorialry marshalls, ence of the working class, and their incapability of mobilising the class.

and supporters to shout on a revolutionary enthusiasm of their many 1O W being tried and tested we can assess of opposing al how this is working out. be as can be seen for their

MAOISTS

The results of the the steel support for 'social fascist' policies of the Maoists can be seen daily. These actions have been designed tiny 'official' pro-Chinese (who are also known as the AOC is that the of Cunhal is Consect greater threat the to working class than American imper- provisional government, ialism. Such universally unpop- conception militant workers, , and to direct virtually unem as it propaganda against the CP, and to nationalisation under workers' management: all these policies are now called for in this situation. As they are fought for and workers are mobilised win these demands, they begin to form a bridge between the present of workers and the need for the working elass to take the puwer. Yet the WRP refused to take up & fight for this this reason the lost important developments in our work have from WRP sectarianism and propagandism, bringing important gains in trade union work and opening up completely new areas We are beginning to recruit and train from the new forces thrown into trade unionists, but also professional workers, housewives, students and youth - in the fight to construct the Our record shows that we continue to fight uncompromisingly expose all those who attack and revise Marxism - not only the WRP but alsa the 'rank and file' policies of the IS group who refuse to defend the and the IMG, who Liquidate the revolut ionary movement into unprincipled blocs and liaisons with anti-revolution- ary tendencies, as well as against Stalinism and reformism.

Already it is clear that throughout the world the movement of the working class poses similar questions for those groups calling themselves particularly sections of the International Committee of the Fourth International, producing similar splits and offering a rich possibility truy internationa For this reason the WSL is now engaged in a process of inter nal discussion prior to a full founding conference, a vital part of which is to Page join the reactionary anti even communist demonstrations in th North. The MRPP (Revolutionary Mor ment for a Proletarian Party) grou seems to have a similar view of the world, but they have played som part in the organising of soldiers especially against going off to thi colonial wars, and have won a fer positions in the unions from th CP. They create an illusion of stren th by the number of enormous re and yellow paintings they have mar aged to get up in Lisbon and elsewhere, mostly dating from thei to release their leade campaign Arnaldo Matos from prison earlier this year.

PICTURES

Something of their style can be gathered from the pictures they put up showing Matos, with what can only be described as a beatific look on his face, leading an anony mous looking section of the masses into a garish Hollywood sunrise These hardworking sectarians continue to build up their member and they managed to mount ship a rally of 5,000 on the same nigh as the CP in Central Lisbon on 16th September. It is unlikely, however that they will have much further influence on events, and they are being outpaced by a number of other Maoist groups The most important of the othe self-appointed 'Marxist-Leninists the ÜDP (Popular Democratic Un ion), who are said by the others to be "lackies of Cunhal' because they retuse to place the struggle against alleged 'social fascism at the tOT of their agenda. With some of th prestige of the Chinese revolutior that is fam- behind them, they have mangged to gain some support among comm- ittees of soldiers Their organisation however, shows all the classic tendencies of a petty bourgeois centrist formation while moving in to support the famous are COPCON document, and then pull But implications of ashane tyine te ing out just as suddenly when became obvious. who still of other number centris groupings were among the othet possible signatories of the 25th August acc ord. The MES (Left Socialist More the capitalist ment). is the most right wing these It unites left-wing Catholics of the legal sections oppositio irom the old regime and disaffecte members of the mass organisation into as well-intentioned a group of semi-liberals as you could hope to meet, and is likely to become in- creasingly ineffectual as time goes class. on.

"DIRECT ACTION"

The

LUAR

also consists of well-intentioned people who spec- various forms of 'direct ialise action'. Under fascism, this used to include plane hi-jacking, but recent- programme. But ly there have been such activities policies are as opening shoe shops abandoned by their owners and taking part in land occupations Any directly political role for this organisation is only a remote possibility.

The best-known of the centrist groupinesos the PRP-BR (Proletar- reactionary Revolutionary Party (Red The view of the Brigades) which works closely with

CPC-MI

the British International Socialists particularly important This and dangerous body because it has Portuguese the army and some support in elsewhere and .combines an leads incurable romanticism apparently their Continued on Page 7 (bottom)

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BACK TO PABLOISM

Liberation of Da Nang, March 1975.'

The liberation of Vietnam ind the other nations of Indo- struck at imperialism since the liberation of China from the Kuomintang, the rout of Thieu in South Vietnam was led and carried to a successful conclusion the military strug- ge against imperialism, was at the same time responsible for some of the worst defeats and of shed nige woo in mater what attempts the Stalinist, reform- and centrist parties to find a basis for equilibrium.

leadership - and drew out the polit- in the 1945 revolution, when they ists and allowed French troops to - the to Socialist League has been stridently and ine Liberat last instalment is an attack on our "Vietnamese Trotskyists', in The central purpose of Johns' excursion into history Vietnamese orders of the WRP leadership) for- rev leads ohns heath distort the history of the Stalinist leadership in Vietnam, but to falsify wholesale the struggle of the Viet- namese Trotskyists. also raises one of the most funda- in the movement: what is the significance of the fact that Stalinism has over- thrown capitalist property relations and established deformed workers states in many countries, when a faction led by Michel concluding from these Stalinism was capable of an overall of the WRP fought organisationally

LOUR

the WRP leadership the wheel begins their journalists to apologetics for Stalinist politics, dragging the record of the Vietnamese Trotskyist move- 95 are up some of the main falsifications in Johns' articles.

next to nothing of the real record f Vietnamese Trotskyism, in 1945 he disarmingly explains, the the Trotskyist movement in nam, still less a Marxist analysis. It account skvist has ever Willen an reoccupy. and of the available material is in French, and an investigation of this would national arrogance with which Johns

WRP

Tine he has the impudence to accuse us of being petit-bourgeois English pat- case, Johns is wholly journal of the Fourth International, who played a leading part in them.

' and a French comrade - describing • and Vietnam by Anh Van and Jacqueline Roussel. (Both of them are - regret- tably for Mr Johns - in French).

Committee' - writes they say 1s the most important since the Oct- ober revolution, and in which the course, does not inhibit Johns from Trotskyists for taking "far too sup- "an abstract and sectarian approach" to the national question.

"Saigon events' of August- September 1945 were revolutionary September to gain a hold in and ernment power in the vacuum after the Japanese surrender in August.

The cadres of the International Communist League by Giau on or just after September 12th precisely for issuing an appeal which denounced "the treasonable policy of the Stalinist government English troops general September 23rd enough Hrench drive them out of the city.

then on there was war throughout and French troops began to retake the Mekong delta area 15th October, 1975. SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday, of the South" ordered the disarm- ing of all other organisations.

The decree declared: call the people to "all those who all to struggle and above against the Allies will be considered as provocateurs and saboteurs".

By (or just before September 12th the Stalinists welcomed Gen and the first detach- eral Gracey ments of British and Indian troops.

day (or the 14th, On the same sources) the according to some Stalinists carried out the main police of Trotskyist cadres.

STALINIST FEARS

equally Stalinists The WaLs fearful of the Trotskyists' agitation All those who have instigated the peoperty will be severely dod pers "We have not yet made the Com only a democratic ment Is over these critical days giving virt- dates (the purpose of the I repeat, is a bourgeois democratic government, exen though the Com June 12th was to make them clear).

His aim is to confuse the situation Stephen Johns' accusations national independ ence and the peasants should there- was forced by massive French forces fore be wholly directed at the Stal- in the south and the north to sign an 'independence' agreement.

Johns then justifies this retreat peasant countryside - to which the Trotsky- ICP (Indochina Communist Party warfare In effect, Johns chooses to recognise troops after September to put it the revolution by its backside, and then employs this as 'explanation' Thus did imperialism (allowed in the door by Stalinism) 'attend is at work in Johns' slanders on the permanent revolution question, an underestimation of the progressive role of nationalism, and the dangers of sectarianisas towards says - falsely - that they icism of their policies in 1945 is a - which were in fact embryo liber- and that their policies from it, but canveniently ("completely idealist" according to Johns) "accounted in part for their Vietnamese communists in France The Trotskyists crystall- one of those kiled in 1945. Thau right to the fore demands both fo the redistribution of the land, and peasants to defend national indep- In the huge Saigon dem- onstration of August 21st thousands took up their slogans. They still got mass support in the demonstrations of August 25th and September 2nd, parasites of French rule wholesale: led aumerous local Peoples Com Committee', uniting about a hund- after the August 21st demonstration and, on August 26th the revolutionary def ence of national independence, for uniting peasants and workers via the foria national assembly of Peoples Provisional Central Com- mittee held delegate meetings daily, defence of independence. On Sept- ember 4th delegates from the work- Nhuan brought forward proposals French-owned factories Indochina be taken over and fort- press and radio launched a concerted where witchhunt against une the Opposition positions of the Left of Vietnamese. On the

SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday, 15th October, 1975 Revolutionary militants freed from Poulo Condor prison island.

the Communist Party there (found- indelicate as to mention them.

ed in February 1930). In 1931-2 Lastly - how does Johns assess they adopted revised positions which politically the results of the Stalin- of Trotsky's crit- accepted many ists murdering the Trotskyist leader- icisms, and they built a considerable He ship in Saigon? Calls "an outright movement during the 1930's.

"dastardly" act and The character of Trotsky's letter But counter-revolutionary blow". is clearly shown in the source from counter-revolutionary? why was which Johns quotes it (International Because "it deprived the masses Socialist Review, September 1973).

possibility of an The uncle. That Johns, who has never led standing of international Stalinism anything but a mendacious nd therefore disarmed them in th acao the Viennese rookies a should ace of the parasitic and counte across Moscow bureaucracy"! revolutionary ecture on the problem of revolut- This the quintessence of Vietnam ionary leadership in in the WRP's abandonment of Trotsky- 1945, going by weaknesses of some Revolution and 1cm of their position revolution themselves are contem- new ecruits in Paris in 1930, is grote plated in wholly idealistic terms.

que. He simple writes off a decade Johns ea Vietnamese every point to and a half of revolutionary struggle.

exonerate Stalinism from responsibility material for

"PARTY"

the defeat of the revolution - just Johns also uses Vietnam as the platform for some fraudulent brag- adaccio on the WRP and the role he vistnaming

WRP

Stalinist According Stalinist from a wish to whole Tine conception of revolutionary leader- satred of the British revolutionary "method is leadership - the WRP' ant resistan. us for separating th peasant movement he military struggle from the polit- ical 1e enhans providec by "the Party" delivers a sermor on the need to have a party above all - the Stalinist Party in Vietnam, and the WRP in Britain. the struggle in Vietnam he the "always party has the leaders, organisers and tacticians of the struggle to liberate the south.

The leadership did not reside in any one town or city, but in the Party without the Party the victory in Vietnam could not have occur- red".

DISSOLVED

How, then does Johns explain this that on November Ilth, 1945, as French troops drove deep- and deeper into Cochinchina, ег Ho Chi Minh in Hanoi dissolved the Communist Party! Indochina (In 1943 Stalin had dissolved the Comintern a peace-offering to US imperialism). The communique "In order to destroy all misunder- turns his back on the real situation standings, domestic and foreign, in Saigon and the south. which can hinder the liberation of our country, the Central Executive The Vietnamese were disarmed, not "in the ot the CP in meells

MOSCOW

assembled on November 11th 1945, bureaucracy" but by the Stalinists has decided to formally dissolve in Saigon in face of two imperialist the ICP. armies who were already landing. Those followers of Communism The murder of the Trotskyists des- desirous of continuing their theor- troyed the political spearhead etical studies will affiliate with the the struggle for workers and pea- sants power, and for revolutionary Indochina Association for Marxist Studies". defence of independence. With their From then until the party was liquidation, the road was open to reestablished in 1951 the Stalinists French imperialism and the "agree- Vietminh. 'on the Vietminh in organised through the ments' forced In July 1946 they 1946. sponsored the formation But Johns lifts the whole ques- of a social aemocranic Part of its tion fairy-land party in north. to some ideal une stressed "Reliance programme on outside the borders of Vietnam. parliamentary means, peaceful org- All the Saigon Stalinists Were anisational methods, and guilty of, in his eyes, was "depriving propag- anda" cleari the masses of the possibility oI an indicated in one of Johns' sources.

understanding" 'international Needless to respect for "the Stalinism' and 'the Moscow bureau- aravant him tram heino co the role of 'theory' in the gospel of the

WRP.

If only counter- revolutionary retreats could out with a proper carried 'under- standing' of the role of Stalinism Mr Johns 'and the elsewhere! - 'theoreticians' of the WRP would withdraw their lingering objections.

It is not difficult to imagine what Thu Thau his comrades would to correct their grave weaknesses.

have of Johns' offer

STALINISM

revolution case •But, what is clear his total see the With formal logic, the Vietnamese finally suc- taking power they them with taly, line"

CORS SECTI

Yet the Communist Party, too, led revolutionary -but Workers Stalinist and for example, commented on thoroughly , the 'worship the which the around April 30th, 1975; liberation forces capture palace headquarters of the Thieu puppet regime.

the next. He goes on to defend the claim that NLF declarations on indepen- dence and revolutionary movements in other countries are revolutionary internationalism', cynically glossing example - the support over for Hanoi has given (in accomodatio olicy) for Ghan to Soviet foreign in India, di's measures under which thousands of left-wing ers are being imprisoned, gagged and persecuted. Stalinism cannot be understood against piecemeal. It is and fought a world political formation, resting between wore dilarorist imperialism and the revolutionar aspirations of a rotten social order and is itself contradictory to the CoIC based on the one =03 It is proper! ===- chmana ation It attempts to for . state power even in world looking for up 'real' Stalinism, and ever

USC

for the WRP's them as a This is way in which Michel justified his capitulation to in the period before split in time the tendencs the Communis Tole Party leadership definite In the retreats of the Vietnamese the to them and was CP (in fact, strations with the Trotskyists forces' situation within on Vietnam - the only inter- alone national factors he places in the hostile to the those balance are Vietnamese revolution; imperialism and Moscow Stalinism. He does not mention the support of the inter- national working class, the fact that British troops sent into Vietnam profoundly bitter at being were forced to fight a war they regarder their business, or the fact that even the bourgeois Indian nationalist leader Nehru was forced protest against the invasion of the south. Little wonder, then, that Johns compartmentalising the world revol ution in typically Stalinist fashion to suit his condudes ta: it would hare here press ci abortive Vie: 5:== :: I Sis torto Page eloped by In stration of the permanent revolution. " empirically from the dictates Stalinist peaceful through ship were to carry the revolution" day when the of the and the Fourth International. on the document he lays out his "Despite and errors, who seriously takes revolution is part the over Trotskyism] of the colonial the victory particular is a In of the Trotskyist Marxist theory of the Permanent Revot Chinese CP ution. has practice in which the manner approximates ism"

OPPOSED

The present leadership of the WRP correctly opposed Pablo (afte having supported his bureaucratic of those who disagreed expulsions with him) in 1953. But they never fought on the basis of a political him. Now, dis- opposition to oriented by the world-wide offensive of the working class, they jump, as did Pablo, from impression to impression. the band- Eager to climb on wagon of the enormous and correct Vietnamest which enthusiastl has aroused, they drag revolution its real history in the mud.

the view of the WSL the In study of the solutioned

IS I00T0I =I I=

rage

SCARGILL'S

PHILOSOPHY

OF BETRAYAL

ting measures that are deliberately By John Lea designed to solve the capitalist crisis at the expense of the working class..

A long interview last June The ruling class have created these and if they're not prepared to pay then we take over miners' militant periodical leader cred dangerous newspaper Miners capitulating on the question of the defence of miners living standards by his retreat on the £100 claim?

recounting To understand this is to understand the forces that drive towards be- trayal in all the 'left talkers' in the meetings to attend even unions and the Labour Party, how- of the against CYCl his role in the strIKes gives the Fourth Inter- Programme with after the depot working class into, two each other: parts which in which role himself, which the тахітит hayed of socialism cargill says: promised had been "The Between the and bridge тахітит And existed. the we took Yorkshire. We wat. view cricket the what 'ulti- We were On the one Heath's policies means таке over cuckoo land. and production, only way change"

WIT

of energy, How They Scargill was the convince over society. and the miners the working conflict govern- fields of the to take into of ment. the means social control "Yes, should really what and not just producing into the attack else do is nationalisation anything because a Labour government should Iknow." ever find itself in a position never Struggle without clear conflict with the trade unions in And if it does then it this way. of anything. with has nothing common Saltley that Scargill of nothing socialism and it 'necessity" the working class common with abandoning the f6 They (the principles • Labour leaders) are now deliberately opera- PORTUGAL (cont'd from p 3) serious contact driven of the increasingly the arms distinguish inability to blind with an their stalinists. between class forces at work • romanticism claim that The in the revolutionary situation that CP it the their alliances it. They confronts nave support the Armed OI charge. Movement and in practice Forces with the Stalinists, work closely poli- counter-revolutionary For example, we were assured incapable of tics they au oval it true that although that was confronting. Vasco Goncalves is a Stalinist, The first thing that strikes the is a very left' Stalinist! Even more visitor to the offices of the PRP in ‚alarming are the constant references book-stall Lisbon. is that their Otelo' (de Carvalho), of to "Comrade contains works serious no 'he has the assurances that though there and Marxist theory, plenty about colonial warfare such never betrayed the revolition' given as Che Guevara and Amicar Cabral.

us time at aprebaring a coup actively in assoc- On being asked about this, they iation with right-wing chief of staff assure you that they have no need outdated of the theories of such Fabiao. If the situation facing the work- writers as Lenin and Trotsky.

The were not so serious such result of this now is clear in their ing class would simply The vacuous phrases confusion practice.

COPCON

document and laughable. The

PRP

was recently the leIl consignment of 25th August accord delivered a large of its friends from some normally attributed to them. and alls Armed Forces Movement, and disastrous results the the one Cat well be needed these their disdain for questions though campaign in the wage before they by Scargill's retreat. Scargill admits: WIl faced with a rate 25% a year while the entire right wing in the unions and the Labour Party together with the capitalists view that 'one man's wage increase is another man's job' then of course ations' backs down on the claim into the attack" on a Labour govern- supporting the government. Scargill fails to understand that a Labour like the unions class. fundamental the this raIseS political the Namely class construction of necessity based the working on TEne defence of and of the proletariat, interests which socialist planned economy crisis. that Wilson has alliance of the party, and But having You're not night. So meantle we can get the have to ary • lead and romanticism. militancy stand the workers to to such

POSION

Of only be can It Trotskyist of this impossible in space all those this mantle • 11 is very Portugal. new only are at least four 1968, well- The groups in the Portugal are Fourth Inter- Committee. elsewhere, content to burrow into SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday best for workers out of the situation as it is." of the This is the essence reformist separation of the maximum of socialism always put off till tomorrow because no- one can see what on earth can done about it today from the minimum programme of reforms 'out of the which we try get situation as it is' Workers prac- tical struggles are limited in this way within the confines of refor- mism and trade union conscious- ness But when reforms are no longer be got and nothing can possible, from the 'situation as it is, Scargill political alter- cannot see now be fought for in the native can For this working class movement. enable workers to see beyond both 'lefts' Wilson and Benn and the and drive these people out. There- fore despite all the rhetoric about Party democratising the Labour Scargill ends up making the best of a bad job be with all his weaknesses "It may the Left has got to consider whether or not Benn has got to be supported.

criticisms of more Nobody's got Benn than I have ... But at least would be an improvement on he the present leadership. That the position of the 'Lefts brings them in practice into unity with the right wing is shown graph- ically by the speech at the Labour Party Conference by ex-left Michael its the Labou recipe government's] destruction On same time immobilised. no alternative to goverli class. the programme It wage Such - a sialig by the scale of wager nationalisatior defend jobs about the 'to general need for a government party. To judge to this point in put the immediate Portugal are building of a Such evolumelay the Government' down the clearly

HOTS S LO

Portuguese of The two the United of the Mandelite majority group, known Communist shown have that the obvious they beast by 25th August accord against Whatever 15th October, 1973 under workers management of all of the economy, bankrupt sectors together with a programme of pub- lic wecause create shes ireversibly irreversibly clashes becaust with the measures that the employ- defence ers have таке profits, poses the necessity workers control. That is of workers committees taking control of the factories and supervising the management being capitalist policies prevent implemented. This stage itself would lay the basis for the working class moving ahead to abolish capitalist property relations altogether But Scargill resolutely refuses of by means give leadershin such a strategy and his covers • tracks with a morass of confusior on' the question of 'workers control' "Now I'm a strange trade union that I'm leader totally opposed to workers control.

believe once you start talking about capitalism workers control under what you are saying is that we establish a system where we open the books and we take charge 51% of the Board and all this sort of thing. That's not workers power.

Workers power is to take into the hands of the working people all the means of producing wealth, distrib ution, and exchange. with manage- ween and workers plant to control the seizing ment, and to isation differeat very Wher participation the taking workers strengthen "Yes In the totally different ball game. I believe we can less do it" Go the order! chance between fully fledged ences only solution But is doing despite the and the wages, of the trade democratic now which of ending the necessitates capitalist reality of the movement in 1953 The Hansenite minority in which Portugal also have a group called the acts quite independently,

PRT

(Revolutionary Party have They to Workers). seem number of wrong taken up positions in relation to the Armea Forces Movement and other issues 25th but correctly attacked the August unity accord and tried to intervene in the movement that was with policies built up aimed at a break with the bourg

PRINCIPLE

For our part we will continue intervene in the developing to Portugal on the basis of the of Trotsky's principle Transitional Programme and aim facing the the problems bring workers there before the working internationally It is only the basis for a struggle Fourth for the Ie-bullaing of un International that it will be possible to develop the kind of leadership for which the situation in Portugal

Jones (extreme right) interrupts Mikardo (centre, standing), while

RIGHT WING

POLICIES

The '75 Years of Achieve- hung ment' banner which this year's Labour above Conference platform Party was indeed a testimony and tribute to the part played by social democracy and the Trade Union leadership since 1900. To have enabled British capitalism to continue through two World Wars and a General Strike was indeed an achieve Right and left social ment. and syndicalists democrats their part, have each played united by their anti-Marxism, and deference to the 'respect- the able' institutions capitalist state and fear of the revolutionary character of the working class. The assortment of bureaucrats which make up the and careerists of the conference, met this body year under conditions of capitalist crisis not known for a generation; a background not only of internat- ional victories for the working class revolutionary and and peasantry struggle in Europe itself, but as a brought to power by those party same class forces.

RESPONSE

It is precisely as a response to that working class movement that the ruling class must turn for assistance to their reformist agents in the Labour government and the class collaboration TUC' For them, is the order of the day, with a common willingness to cut pay and unemplovment being

COICHLICT

the 'unity" talked about by Wilson and Benn. of the importance measure to the capitalist state of the Labour Party leaders and trade union bur- was shown by Tne Caulidly unprecedented security arrange- the Conference. ments Uniformed police Special and Branch men were everywhere from the entrance to the conference press gallery, and even on the roof- with Party hacks opposite, eagerly and meticulously searching bags and checking credentials.

Though Wilson had every The first conference organ- ised by the Medical Committee Against Private Practice (MCAPP), held in London on Ilth October, under the title 'Fight Against the Cuts in the NHS', showed the real deter- mination of the working class to defend the health service as a basic right. Some 300 delegates and visitors from over a hundred trade union trades councils, shop branches stewards committees and constit- Parties Labour voted unanimously to campaign for SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 15th October, 19 practice and to defend the NHS.

The conference was introduced Wise, MP, by Audrey a Tribune who said correctly that the Labour Party should just manage capitalism, and that to fail to put forward socialist answers would only cause defeat for Labour at the but omitted to say whether polls, fight to the lefts would remove Wilson and his cabinet who are

LEFT TALK-

By Our Correspondent in Blackpool confidence that his policies would be overwhelmingly supported, the government and the union bureau- all, display cracy were, allel and it was important that they impressed their capitalist mastels and jobs. for the defence of pay union another, trade One From an attendance of over 250 leaders applauded the government's the only contribution to anti-working class policies, neither of transitional they nor the Labour 'lefts' having demands was from the WSL.

whatever for the any perspective The main resolutions before the defence of wages and jobs.

were those calling for conference Led by Scanion, Clive Jenkins the government's for support and Bassnett, they eagerly took up and policies of wage cuts the demand for import controls, Tom Jackson, unemployment. a reactionary, nationalist diversion Postal Workers' leader of the solve nothing for the which summed up the position of Union, Call together the 'higher working class COll

TUC

the arguing demnation of the capitalists' refusal prices means fewer jobs line.

maintain invest and properly about the welfare His anxiety their system. of international bankers was clearly greater than that for his member-

'BREATHING SPACE'

a fact he frankly admitted ship, saying that the policy he was by incorporated Benn's speech defending would mean loss of jobs compli- both these all sections of the Post Office

TUC

for abandoning mented the To reply on behalf of the NEC, the right to collective bargaining produced leading Tribunite Wilson basis that it provided a on the Michael Foot as his star turn. Foot, 'breathing for socialist space having served his apprenticeship His call for unity with policies! with Wilson, Healey and the trade union appearing on platiors Williams and Wilson wage cutters was followed by left' Healey, defending the government's actions phrases about the 'unjust and in- was the date to course, and 'changing effective system' Of course, his Tribunite graduation society'. Benn and have no difficulty Wilson has every confidence in the supporters Labour left talkers and Foot's per- reconciling the two. confirmed job of and the formance richly kenn in covering up for judgement. Tribune group by Wilson at the limiting all their criticism to vagu

CRISIS

calls for "defence of the manifesto' Militant supporters who refused to demand backed Aster utakin crisis of capital- the obligatory that they challenge the right-wing points about the ism' Foot defended classic capital- leadership. The role of Militant is one of with the right-wing's it soon subordination these threat of a Troy government as the complete . words and fine 'left' talkers and avoidance of the "only alternative' about 'socialism tomorrow.

Need- with the utopian Issues less to say it was Wilson who led demand that the government legis 250 the standing ovation. nationalisation Tale toe Foot's betrayal was conscious- monopolies without compensation the Stalinists and under workers control. While covered Star the next day's Morning words, like so many so-called buried his speech in their 'Marxist' Militant express which groups, Trotsky's conference report. formal agreement with The relationship. between the Transitional Programme, in reality, policies which the conference was they are incapable of taking up a supporting and the working class struggle for these demands.

Militant was sharply demonstrated early in mid-week At their during Healey's speech the week meeting none of their calling for further cuts in public Ted (including Grant) speakers the govern- raised a single point of programme spending to appease

MCAPP ADOPTS

Many speakers in the discussion from The second amendment, MCAPP resolution the on

-ASTMS

Oxford Health Service telling examples of the gave branch was supported by the WSL worsening crisis in: the NHS.

Dr the emphasis and sought to place Costa, proposing the the books on the opening of MCAPP resolution, said that almost health service the to prepare for 600,000 (one in a hundred of the workers' control and management population) were now on hospital of the NHS. It began: waiting lists. "The defence of the NHS must Barbara Castle said last week at formation centre around the Folkestone shortage independent workers' organisations money meant hospitals would have fight following this to be closed. •programme: cynical starving of the NHS would 1) For a health service under the lead to the mushrooming of private control of the working class.

The practice. setting-up of elected committees of There were two main amend- representative of Unionists, to the main resolution workers and

NHS

health service the proposed by consumers, to examine the day to WaN International Socialists, who of Health Service day running incredibly, delete the wanted, Authorities and to supervise control for demands automatic increases and deploy resources to satisty the in the NHS budget to compensate health requirements of all workers.

for inflation, for a sliding scale of This must involve these committees wages in the

NHS,

for a workers in forcing the Health Authorities to the NHS and for the inquiry into full information on their of the books to the budget allocations and a complețe opening workers' movement, and insert breakdown expenditure, demands for shop stewards' comm- levels and on private and file ittees and rank papers. practice. ment's international creditors.

already Because measure of workers in taken, jobs and G.E.C. factories in the Plessey North-West are threatened by cuts of 39% in Post Office orders. More than 2000 men and women took through part in a protest march and lobbied the the town their ference. The slogans on banners of "WE WĂNT PAY, NOT

DOLE"

"WE

PUT

YOU

and US"

NOW

BACK

are

THERE -

indication of the enormous an which will erupt between struggles working class and their reform- the ist leaders.

WEAKNESS

The political weakness which is such spontaneous contained the lack of an was moves, however of any per- typified by spective by the leadership which is through the struggle. carrying Rainford, a member of the Plessey Stewards Committee, said Shop were confined that their demands "pressurising the government into the Post Office restoring contracts". He advocated no programme of for an elected committee sharing workers to fight for work full pay in opposition on of as ene basis sackings, … tor the the the company's books as for the nationalisation of the firm protect woos within Plesey itset.

management under workers A further indication of struggles which are taking place over jobs was the stream 0i delegations week for throughout the asking Among them government support. was a group from NVT where 1600 risk. Ray Durman, jobs are secretary of the Action Committee, said it would be "criminal" if the Labour leaders turned their back on them by refusing nationalisation.

It was significant that the only hint of criticism by the left' MPs of the complete abandonment of basic trade union principles which the TUC have carried out in volun teering pay cuts, was outside the

FIGHTING POLICY

It also called for the distribu- tion of additional funds to be under workers' control of these comm- ittees and for a black on all private pracuice Sue Lister (ASTMS), in moving said the amendment, mal "shopping only a list motion was of demands" which the vague amendment would шако clear as fighting concrete and She said that NALGO programme. Executive had supported the con 'left' ference as of but that to carry out solidarity, such a programme as was proposed, trade unionists would have to fight the union bureaucracy, including Executive, which in the National ASTMS had simply forgotten about similar motions passed at confer- R.Robson

(NUPE)

said support that opening of the books essential He calle Was workers' control. called for NHS union leaders to call official for a cash injection strike action into the NHS. The amendment won much and accepted support, was conference Mikardo's mild remarks at the meeting brought a calcul- Tribune "left' from outburst Saying that Mikardo Jack "attacking trade unions" and was inferring that he was a Tory and indication of the ViCiOuS was all ness with which the class collabor leaders will reac ating union opposition from any aganst ally section of their membership. Jone had the full support of Healey who same words used almost attack Mikardo same evening. In fully supporting demand that a fight stand we immediately taken up by the lefts in . his defence and other union leaders wh and the support him With Heffer now elected ont "lefts' must not the

NEC,

the 'immediately within th campaign Labour Party, Parliamentary government opposition to the capitalist policies, at the centre o which must be the removal o Wilson.

UNEMPLOYMENT

LOBBY

The North West area TUC ha Parliamer called for a lobby of against unemployment on Noven ber 26th. Workers Socialist Leagu The calls on all members and supporte to campaign among the unemploy , Trades Counc branches, in union and shop stewards committees f and t full support to thisslobby this lobby and to put forward th policies against unemploymer the WSI fought for consistently by *No redundancies - work sharing o full pay. *Nationalise firms shown to be ba krupt. *Progamme of public works t create jobs paid at trade unio rates, under workers management which was late into the motion, carried. Dr. Berry Beaumont said th Royal Free Hospital, recently con whole private floo pleted, had a but they would not bulld accom dation for its nurses for 4-5 year She called for the working class t take over the monopoly of poweri the NHS at present held by docto She demanded the opening of th books in the NHS, and called on th lefts like Benn in Wilson's cabin to dissociate from the governme 'stand on the side of that and who are fighting against it and i attacks'.

STRIKE

If the conference programn Heto be fought for in all, sip cial Health Service, • tha unions, who support such programi fight for national offic must strike action around such deman

NHS

survive enthusiastic approval of the MCAl shows that the for conference are there the workers moT ment for that to be done.

NEW YORK- GENERAL STRIKE?

Page 8 Chrysler UK have announ- ced record losses for the first six months of 1975.

The deficit of £15.95m is not far short of the £17.7m loss for the whole of 1974.

Indeed the decline of Chry- sier has been much sharper than even these figures show. In the first six months of 1974, for example, the company made a profit of £72,000. Compared with the same per- loa mn tne previous yeal lne pro duction figures for the first six months of 1975 show a reduc- tion of 14,000 to 166,822 cars.

Chrysler's share of the British market has declined from 10.6% in the first 8 months of 1974 iá 8.5% by the end of August this year. The situation would be even worse if it had not been for a major export arrangement with The British Labour Govern- ment continues to attempt to discover a middle ground in the sectarian Orange state in N.E.Ireland. While the funeral rites are waiting to be pronounced over the political career of William Craig, the Sunday Times still believes that "his finest hour is yet to come." Craig, however, has moved over- night from the position of leading spokesman for the loyalist popula tion and unchallenged leader of Vanguard to being thrown out of the Ulster Unionist Council and winning a vote of confidence by only 128 - 79 at his Vanguard Cen- tral Council. To see why it was Craig and not Paisley who broke rank, it is nec- essary to see the very different class base on which these two loy- The decision of Mayor Beame of New York to bring in fur- ther austerity measures mean- ing 47,000 jobs lost, and a 3 year wage freeze has brought a response from the trade unions. Local Teamsters President, Barry Fennstein, said "I'm in favour of a general strike in this city at this time. We have given our blood. The unions are bleeding to death".

Police union leader Ken McFeeley said that he had been "ready for a strike in the last couple of months" The strike call is being discussed

VICTIMISED-BY STEWARDS

Two militant workers have been victimised at Tower Housewares, a subsidiary of Tube Investments, in Wolver- hampton. They were given a minute's notice by manage- ment following a request from the T&GWU shop stew- ards' committee that they be sacked. Ta saising of these workers sarpizie in a long line of TItistions all over the country ticulariy involving the T&GWU.

this case the T&GWU District Onker did nothing to force the stop stewards committee to rev- east tem posinon or to lorce management to reinstate these

CHRYSLER LOSES €16M

Iran. In the latest sales figures exports comprise £90m of the total £191m. This compares with only f50m for the first six months of 1974, Recently, however. the order from iran has been reduced by 20%. The new Chrysler sales drive, designed to win back a section of the lost car market, will be combined with sharp attacks on the shopfloor. The work- force has already been reduced by 4,000 through "natural was- tage and voluntary redundancy.

Last week's dispute over man- ning arrangements at the Ryton plant in Coventry centres on arrangements for an 11% cut in production (to 2,000 cars a week) and the establishment.

of labour pools. This move must be rejected. If there is in- sufficient work a system of work-sharing on full pay must be fought for. Lay-offs, in all Chrysler plants, begun in September have man-

NORTHERN IRELAND

PAISLEY STEPS FORWARD

alist politicians rest. The difference is that between a bourgeois that can accomodate to the changing need of capital, and the petty bourgeois who cannot.

DECLINE

Since 1957 it has been clear that the traditional industries of the North East - linen and shipbuild- ing - were in decline and that cap- ital was leaving the province. The narrow economic base questioned the longer term viability of the province. The bourgeoisie North and South saw the need to create an infrastructure for foreign in- vestment. But with such investment the objective reasons for maintain- ing a divided Ireland disappeared But the Unionist petty bourg- eoisie and the Protestant working class saw the position differently at the Municipal Labor Committee meeting on Tuesday - this body is a joint body of all the city's major unions. The background to these moves is the financial state of New York City which is described by the Governor as facing an "economic Pearl Harbour". It is about to def- ault on several huge payments, which will afect financial centres all over the world. Clearly the call for a general strike is immediately faced with the questisin of political direction, be- cause it will be confronted with the question of the collapse of whate This action is a reflection of the collaboration of union leaders at national level in accepting state control of wages and mass unem- ployment with Jones of the T&G in the leadership of the betrayal.

CAMPAIGN

A campaign must now be fought for the reinstatement of these workers and for a labour move- ment inquiry into the circum- stances where a shop stewards' committee instigates a victimisa- ton. A start must be made by building a movement in Wolver- challenge and expose this kind of betrayal and tight for powerful oeuvred so that some workers face as many as 10 days off work in October. Now there are rumours of a two-dav week and delay in production of the much-heralded new car until 1977.

'PARTICIPATION'

It is in this context, the attack on jobs and conditions, that Chrysler proposals on "worker participation" must be seen.

Despite drastic losses manage- ment is still prepared to pay out over dam for agreement to these proposals. Theobject of the participa- tion proposals is to involve workers' representatives in resp- onsibility for speed-up and . Chrysler stewards should follow the lead of Leyland workers at Cowley, beginning a fight around the demand of the opening of the books and workers' control of manning. - their ascendancy over the nat- ionalist population demanded the maintainance of the Orange state.

Paisley built his movement entire- ly on this base. Now these forces make the running, and the struggle is no longer between Craig and Paisley.

The UDA picketted to the con- vention demanding and getting "no compromise' on power shar- ing; and the UDA Belfast journal backs Paisley and West. The real struggle is now between Paisley and the official unionists, the Conservative Party and the British Army to win support for the United Ulster Unionist Coun- cil majority convention report.

Conspicuously it was Harry West, not Craig, who spoke last week at the Tory Party conference.

The battle lines for a new stage in the struggle are nearly drawn.

sections of capitalism. The necess- ity for the fight within the unions for a break from the capitalist polit- icians of the Democratic party and for anandependent party of the working class with a socialist prog ramme is clearly The unions of New York could give a lead to workers all over the world in action against the social welfare cuts or we could have a repetition of the recent teachers strike there, against increased classes and other cutbacks, which ended in defeat precisely because no direction was given. £ 500 monthly development fund The campaigns begun by the WSL on unemployment and against the implementation of the Ryder report in BLMC are a new develop.

ment for our movement. It is not an accident that no other group on the left is campaigning on these . All of them shrink from guestions the fight for principled leadership mn une working class. Such a leadership must be built.

For this reason we ask you to send a donation towards our monthly £500 development fund Send to: Socialist Press 31, Dartmouth Park Hill, London,

NW5,1HR

SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday October 15th, 1975

WRP RAID

Just as our last edition went to unequivocally the police raid on press the news broke of the police the WRP, and all intervention of the raid on the Derbyshire education capitalist state into workers' organ.

centre of the Workers Revolutionary isations. We support the WRP call Party. for a trade union enquiry into This raid was clearly timed to these events. Those responsible for precede the Labour Party confer- such interference must be forced ence, and must be seea as part of out of the abour movement.

At the same time we have grave a continuing campaign by the press reservations about the political and the Labour right wing to vilify and witch hunt any opposition to methods being employed by the Wilson's policies. It is for this reason WRP in their defence campaign.

In particular, the exclusion of inseperable from the press witch our comrades from the "public" hunt of the militants in Newham NE Labour Party (which culminated in WRP meeting on the issue in Lon- the arrest of Tony Kelly, shortly don on October 13th, while from before the crucial vote to remove the platform speakers demagogic.

ally demanded "Where does the Prentice), and the campaign of WŚL stand?", indicates still further slander against the Militant group: in the weeks before the Conference.

the subjectivism of the WRP leader -The WSL therefore condemns ship.

SCAB FORCE

The aptly named exer- the organised police raid on cise "Inside Right" by the educational of the centre Workers' Revolutionary Party as 30,000 men which includes a preparation for an attack on 10,000 Army reservists the left in those conditions.

and territorials is the first The "left cabinet ministers such nationwide exercise such as Benn must have known since the war. about these. Why aren't they warning the working class of concealed il was purposely these preparations?Why aren't during the week of the Lab- they fighting for the removal of our Party conference so that Wilson and the right wing who questions could not be asked are organising this preparation?

there. Military organisations like the Although these manoeuvres T.A. are part of the "armed are said to be related to ex- bodies of men" ' who will be ternal events, it is quite ob used to attack the working class vious that they are a prepara- and any socialist should be tion for a confrontation with fighting for their disbandment the working class and are be- and not concealing what they ing organised by the Labour are doing. they go alongside government;

BANBURY

BANBURY TRADES

COUNCIL SETS UP-

UNEMPLOYMENT

STRIKE

COMMITTEE

AGAINST

Following a meeting on un- employment in the town, the

SACKINGS

Banbury Trades Council has set up a committee to organ- Last Friday Export Packing ise the campaign against un- Services, a factory employing employment and to organise about 1.000 workers and en- the unemployed. gaged in export packing for At its first meeting on Monday the motor industry, victim- of this week decisions were taken ised and sacked three shop to contact all trade unions in Ban- stewards using a dispute over bury and asking them to make provisions for the recruitment of works bus fare increases as a unemployed workers. In addition, pretext. the committee asked to be inform- In reality the sackings are a dir- ed when redundancies are taking ect attack on the shop floor org place so that they can be involved anisation at EPS following the in the tight. acceptance of 240 compulsory red- undancies by a mass meeting a month ago against the recomm- endation of the stewards' comm-

WSL PUBLIC MEETING

ittee. The whole labour force are now

AYLESBURY

on strike in defence of the sacked stewards after a mass meeting at Tuesday October 21st, 8.00pm which only four workers voted "Unemploymant" against the recommendation of Plough and Hammer, Stoke Rd.

strike action. ever reason, will rush into print.

know the dangers of the pene This week's leaflet says that tration of workers' eyes into the information on which the com- inner workings of their system •pany bases its forward planning that they so jealously guard these should be made available. Is Ley- secrets. land likely to be willing to reveal In Oxford the open the books its model policy, its programme demand has been taken beyond planning and development plans the factories into the labour if there is a chance of seeing it in movement as a whole. The local print, and available to competitors, Trades Council has set up a com within 48 hours?" mittee to investigate the books of This editorial was reproduced the University. A committee has in Monday morning as a clock nanto wich can de intice and countersigned by the jointly with the hospital unions in Plant Director which demolishes defence of the NHS. to examine the any illusions in the 'impartiality' running and the use oi resources of the local press and explains within the Area Health Authority.

why it was their men who were A similar policy mored brought in to 'refute' the £23,000 from the Oxford ASTMS Health Service branch. was Laure The argument of commercial overwhelmingly passed a: confidentiality is simply an ASTMS National Conferents. employers' argument against the These struggles are the first steps in the fight for working Class. As Irolsky makes clear in the Transitional Progr: prodes control or WOrKCIS amme, employers do not have tion and the nationalisa:ca secrets from each other. only private indust Ide: from the working class. workers' managemeni