'right to Work' Marches

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The International icialists are launching what tir paper 'Socialist Worker' scribes as "a rank and file Impaign for the right to ork" , acting through their ont organisations calling emselves "Right to Work bmmittees". : They are organising a march of *employed from Manchester to tadon, starting on February ith, and finishing on March #h. They want to use the march build still more of these rank id file committees.

The campaign is distinguished r putting forward virtually no fogramme whatsoever other than have been able to enlist the support of a number of 'left' MPs who are lending their names to the marches. Without committing themselves to anything, these people who have voted for virtually every one of Wilson's unemployment-creating policies, including the Chrysler deal, are thus given a left' face in the workers movement.

The opportunist tactic of the IS in this march is to direct the massive hostility against unemployment within the working class away from the political fight for leadership within the unions and the necessary confrontation with the bureaucracy, into rank-and-file protest committees.

There are surface similarities between this march and the Right to work Marches organised by the Socialist Labour League in 1972. The SLL (like the IS today) advocated no developedprogrammı unemployment. It, too, enlisted "left' MPs as sponsors.

But the Socialist Labour League at that time fought consistently against all other tendencies for leadership within the trade unions in conflict with the bureaucracy, and correctly focussed the attention of workers continuously on the political treachery of its leadership in the face of the Tory government.

This was linked to a political fight against Stalinism and centrism.

None of these political strengths are present in today's IS campaign. In seeking only to develop the lowest level of 'Tank-and-file' action, the IS pander as ever to the political backwardness of sections of workers, and offer neither programme nor principled understanding of the bureaucracy.

The Workers Socialist League will of course support the unemployed matches when they pass through areas in which we have support.

We will not stand aside from the struggles of unemployed workers against capitalism however much we disagree with their political position.

But we will give no support to the diversionary politics of "rank and file" or "right to work" committees which direct unemployed workers and youth away from the trade unions.

Instead we have consistently fought for the formation of Trades Counci unemployment committees on which we along with other tendencies can fight for our policies. And we will continue to take up the fight in the branches for full trade union rights for the unemployed.

The avoidance of an inquiry shows the real nature of ballot voting under the existing set up. Those in control of the system have all kinds of manoeuvres open to them to say nothing of the now routine intervention of the media to witchhunt those opposed to the bureaucracy.

A complete revision of the rules under which voting takes place in the T&G is required. Rules must be established which take the control of elections out of the hands of the appointed officials and hardened bureaucrats and establish the rights of rank and file workers to scrutinise election procedures and figures at any stage.

The Houghton Main with the Lofthouse tragedy and from the increasing accident rate in the mines.

This increase is due to the productivity deal pressure and bears out everything that the Yorkshire miners have said about such 'deals' No less than sixteen people knew about the faulty Carter Howden auxilliary fan and yet nono-one did anything about it.

On June 12th 1975 at 6.49pm the explosion occurred in the Meltonfield seam of the Houghton Main Colliery.

A new committee has now been set up by the Chief Inspector of Mines and Quarries, John Carver, to investigate ventilation in narrow drive ways.

The inspector also put forward a series of immediate proposals for improving safety in the mines.

The NUM must act to force immediate implementation of all the measures in the report.

The whole report is complete indictment of NCB methods of management. Its lessons must be the start of a campaign to prepare for workers' management throughout the Coalfield. Workers Commission leader Marcelino Camacho, like other leaders of the Democratic Junta and Platform, attempts to disown the political history and sabotage the political demands of the Spanish working class.

'RECONCILIATION'

The history of Spain, he said in a recent interview with Le Monde 'has always proceeded through wars, revolutions or crusades. We are at present in a moment of history when it is necessary to end the 'traumatic' evolution. We must reach a national reconciliation of paniaras The economic crisis he went on, demanded sacrifices and the working class knew its responsibilities. But 'the working class is the bearer, in part, of the future of Spain. To be sure that today's sacrifice will bring benefits to the whole society and not only the oligarchy, we say we need freedom'.

But at Camacho's back Spanish workers are already demanding the complete elimination of that ruling class with which Camacho and his fellow Stalinist and reformist leaders wish to enter into partnership.

OVERTHROW

The last two weeks of dramatic action give further proof of the readiness of the Spanish working class to wage a militant and united struggle for the overthrow of the fascist regime and for a workers' government. The single major obstacle to that is the policy of class collaboration of the leaders of the parties which make up the Democratic Junta and Platform.

The main lines of the 'liberalisation' policies to be announced on January 28 are already clear (elections and the legalisation of non-communist parties).

These attempts to rescue Francoism must be met not with compromising gestures but total rejection. Spanish workers' organisations must at once prepare a general strike to bring down Francoism once and for all and establish a workers' government in Spain.

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the vague slogan "fight for the right to work". On this basis IS

Colliery disaster was not just an accident. It follows in line