Wilson and Mao Mourn Franco

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- BROAD The only thing to regret the death of Francisco Franco is that it did not happen long before.

It is matter for sober rejoicing that biology has finally done what, but for its treacherous leadership, the workers' movement would have been able to do decades ago.

CELEBRATED

Yet, while class conscious workers throughout the world celebrate the death of the old butcher, James Callaghan, British Labour Foreign Secretary, clearly longs for Franco and his regime to remain alive. Once he had brushed away his tears he sent the life-long fascists in the Spanish government a message of condolence.

The Labour cabinet wasted no time in sending Lord Shepherd, a cabinet minister to represent them at the fascist dictator's funeral, where he was able to sit beside Colonel Banzer of Bolivia, General Pinochet of Chile, Prince Rainier and a galaxy of the most vicious and reactionary politician in the world.

CONTEMPT

This complete contempt for the Spanish working class and gross betrayal of the most elen entary principles of the labour movement has shocked and disg: usted workers and socialists throughout Britain.

Numerous trade union leaders, and Labour Party workers at Transport House registered their objections; and back-bench Lab: our MPs along with one minister (Joan Lestor) boycotted a parliamentary debate in protest.

Callaghan We welcome these protests -but they are totally insufficient Labour Party members must demand the immediate removal of Wilson, Callaghan and all ministers who support this cooperation with fascism. At the same time they must fight for a black on Spanish goods and holidays to be imposed by the British and international labour movement to defeat Franco's fascist successors.

The protests of Labour MPs and trade union leaders would carrý more conviction if they were not themselves at the same time cooperating with the Labour government's attacks on all British workers through its reac tionary economic and social policies, its attacks on political militants through police raids and the Prevention of Terrorism Act, and its daily betrayal of the world interests of the working class by imperialist foreign policy in Ireland, the Middle East, and countless other parts of the world. Joining in the reactionary wailing over Franco's death is not out of character for the Labour government, as the protesting MPs and union leaders would like to make out. It is one instance of its consistently reactionary policies It is especially disgusting because of Franco's 60 year record of butchery and oppression of worker fighting for the objectives which Labour leaders still claim to This began in 1917 when as a you officer he brutally suppressed a miners' strike in Asturias; it contin ued up to his murder of 5 militant: only 2 weeks before his final illnes Between these two dates he was responsible for the murder of a million workers. Labour cabinet ministers sent no condolences, attended none of their funerals.

Some of the five militants murde: ed in September were Maoists of the FRÄP. Their martyrdom has been responded to by the Stalinist government of Mao-tse-Tung not with a protest but with a message of condolence to the Spanish government on Franco's death, as wel as, for good measure, the sending of a memorial wreath by Chinese Prime Minister Chou en Lai to the Spanish embassy in Peking.

The conclusion to be drawn from these actions is clear: that the working class throughout the worl must totally reject leaders who every day practive cynical betrayal by currying favour with the bitterest enemies of the class they claim to represent. tion of the working class is ready to fight the attacks of capitalism.

As Marxists we have to assess the movements that are building up, that is the force whịch will transform the situation in the unions. The central question is the development of a new leadership based on a clear programme in the AUEW as in all other unions. * In the election for national organiser the right-wing candidate, J.Bradley got 86,857 votes. The "broad left' candidate, CP member Phil Higgs got 29,699 votes, Willie Lee the IS member standing on a 35-hour week, higher wages, syndicalist platform, very little different from Higgs, got 10,709 votes and Ken Tyrell standing on a programme written by WSL members (printed in Socialist Press got 5,686 votes.

Tyrell was described in Workers Press, paper of the WRP, as one of those candidates who stood on a revolutionary platform. Maybe the editor of the Workers Press can explain how he can continue his attack on our programme. 1,400 youth, trade unionists and students marched through pouring rain on Sunday November 16th in support of the Workers Revolutionary Party's call for a trade union enquiry into the September police raid on their Derbyshire headquarter The demonstration was part of a continuing campaign by the WRP to expose the attacks on democratic rights carried through by the Labour government's authorisation of this raid, and the outcome of two months campaign by WRP branches.

The march included banners from ten trades councils and 25 branches and stewards con ittees as well as several studen unions and the Clay Cross Col cillors. The Cine technicians union, ACTT, gave official support to the demonstration and its call for an inquiry.

Contingents from North London IMG, the International Socialists and Workers Fight also took part.

The Workers Socialist League, which until this demonstration had been excluded from campaign meetings by WRP members, was represented on the march by delegates from the London, Oxford and Midlands areas.

The next step from this demonstration is clearly to pursue the struggle for a full trade union inquiry into Jenkin's authorisation of the police raid. In this fight the sharpest attack must be on the Labour lefts' ' refusal to fight to remove the WilsonJenkins leadership, covered by 'left' phrases of "opposition" to their reactionary policies.

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