Vote for fusion with ICL

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alterences or , metnoa or menis stating ine position or work and day-by-day orien- each side would be drawn tation can only really be up, to be put to the vote at tackled in the course of joint the fusion conference.

policies can be put to the begin work on the organisThe fusion resolution the drafting of a democratic new Trotskyist organisation some 300strong, combining the forces of the present Workers Socialist League and the International Communist League, could be formed by the end of July.

The decision to work for a fusion conferenee of the two organisations was made at the Fifth Annual Conference of the Workers Socialist League last weekend.

The debate on the issue, on the final day of the 3day conference, had opened with a report of the extensive political discussions and joint work that had been conducted between the members, sympathisers and supporters of the two organisations during the last eight months.

The positive developments in the discussions-in which a number of initial disagreements had been substantially resolved-had flowed from the fact that both the WSL and the ICL have for some time committed themselves to a struggle against sectarian isolation from the mass movement, and set out to intervene in the struggies within the organised working class.

While the ICL. has been most successful in winning a periphery of supporters among those fighting for socialist policies and democratic reforms within the Labour Party, the WSL has continued to orientate firmly into the trade unions and in particular ințo struggles against cuts and closures in the public sector.

The different political origins and evolution of both ICL and WSL has meant that some differences of method and orientation have yet to be resolved. And on number of political questions-in particular policy on the Common Market, and on the call to withdraw Soviet troops from Afghanistan and Vietnamese troops from kampuchea there remain disagreements.

But both organisations have now taken the view that such difterences can properly be debated and decided by a majority voté within a fused organisation.

And the outstanding 1:02- ....11.: 1 practical activity, in wnich test in practice. tabled by the Workers Socialist League National Committee provided for a further two and 1 half months of discussion, in which a joint platform document would be drafted and an objective • statement drawn up declaring on cach side the areas of outstanding disagrcentent.

This task is facilitated by the fact that the ICL has already endorsed the British Perspectives document which was adopted by the WSL conference.

such contentious issues as need an immedlate working policy: docuAnd sub-committees will ational details of fusion and centralist constitution.

The WSL resolution already agreed in outline by the ICL provides for the joint organisation to sponsor i, weekly 16-page Trotskyist newspaper, to pruduce a regular Trotskyist women's magazine while working to build the broad-based Women's Fightback grouping and to. produce its own quarteriy theoretical journal.

Un an international level, the joint organisation will be affiliated to the Trotskyist International: Liaison Committee and play its full role in the fight for the political reconstruction of the Fourth After a fuil debate, the WSL National Committee resolution for fusion was carried without amendment, with only one vote against.

further resolution, addressing the unresolved differences with the ICL on the question of work amongst women, and endorsing the interventionist method of work developed by the WSL, was also carried by a large majority.

There is obviously much more still to be accomplished before we can complete the ambitious project of consolidating a fusion of two equal-sized. Trotskyist organisations.

During the course of the 3-day conference, over 100 members, supporters and sympathisers of the Workers Socialist League took part in the debates.

On the third day the entire conference stood in a minute's silence as a mark of respect for comrades Gary Thornton and Joseph Tosti, both of whom have died in tragie circumstances since the last conference.

The fusion is the most substantial attempt so far to find a principled basis to tackle the problem of the divisions in the Trotskyist movement in Britain.

The discussion has been markea throughout by an avoidance on bolt sides of any attempt to impose a "moratorium" on differences or "agree to disagree" formulae that have marred previous fusion bids and laid the basis for further splits.

The combined forces of the new organisation and increased material resources generated by the fusion should offer new opportunities to take the Trotskyist programme into struggles in the trade unions, in the Labour Party, among youth, the unemployed, the black communities, among working class women and the women's movement.

And on an international level the fused organisation's commitment to the reconstruction of the Fourth International should give a new impetus to the work of the Trotskyist International Liaison Committee.

Socialist Press pamphlet outlining programme of action against the Tory offensive.

Price 45p including postage trom WSL, BM Box 5277.

London WC IN 3XX.

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