Readers Letters

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' I would like to raise certain questions about two articles in Socialist Press Numbers 28 and 29 concerning the so-called 'split' in world Stalinism.

The moves of the Western European CPs to denounce the dictatorship of the proletariat and proletarian internationalism have been described as a split from Moscow policies.

I, on the other hand, would see these moves as completely in line with the wishes of the Soviet bureaucracy. They must be looked at internationally in the context of detente, peaceful co-existence, 'socialism in one country', and the demands made by capitalist politicians on the Portuguese CP at the time of the Helsinki conference.

When the CP in Portugal was being forced, by the forward movement of the working class, to take militant left-wing positions, capitalist politicians demanded that the CP must not bow to pressure from the working class, but must keep their activities within the bounds of bourgeois democracy.

All the CPs of Spain, Italy, Britain, France and Switzerland (to name but a few who have openly declared their position) are doing is heeding these demands.

British CP General Secretary Mclennan. British Stalinists have moved to make right-wing criticism of the Soviet Union from standpoint of bourgeois democracy -while European ÇPs abandon call for 'dictatorship of the proletariat.

They are saying they are "respectabie" '; willing to work within capitalism, and most important that they will actively work against the working class when they take that road:

The NATO Generals and capitalist politicians can rest easy because all the Stalinists want in return is privileged positions within the labour aristocracy and the continuing rule of the Soviet There are, and will be more, splits within the Stalinist movement, but these splits will be more within national CPs rather to paper over the cracks in their movement by hiding behind their support for national liberation movements in the Far East and Africa.

They give this support not to spread revolution, but to spread their sphere of influence. • I think we must now recognise a new turn of the Stalinist movement. We have seen how ruling classes have been prepared to use CPs to head. off workers in struggle • up to the point of allowing them to participate in government in coalitions.

Now that the Western European parties have declared themselves the servants of the bourgeoisie and willing to work within the confines of bourgeois democracy the working class can espect treachery and back-stabbing on a much higher level than before.

Not just because the Stalinists are willing servants, but because the ruling class know they are. That is the qualitative turning-point. Yours Comradely, BLMC Body Plant, Cowley position last Saturday he took it a stage further, saying "it is the job of the shop stewards to improve efficiency" This ties right in with the objectives of the Ryder plan. The essence of Jones' speech is not simply that he wants to create the conditions to get Stage Two of state pay legislation through the TUC but that a more "flexible" policy is what the employers want.

To underline this, speaking on Midlands TV, Geoffrey Whelan, Leyland's Industrial Relations Director made the same point.

The Labour government's wages policy, he said, was "too rigid" and did not allow Leyland to proceed with the "restructuring" which was the only way of solving the present "anomolies" which arose out of the plant bargaining system.

HAMSTRING

Corporate bargaining sets out to hamstring workers by surrendering their independence to the national officials who are even less exposed to pressure from the shop floor conveners. It submerges the strength of individual groups of workers and takes the wages pressure off management.

This was Leyland's objective when they introduced Measured Day Work (time studied flat rates as against the previous piece work system) but it was not achievable at that time.

Problems, when raised, were directed not into theShop Stewards Movement, but into the "participation' set-up. Attendance at the meeting of delegates from plants had dropped to nearly half of its traditional number.

Some speakers were able to refer to their three day trip to Fars, organised under Ryder a week earlier, to observe work effort in the Renault plant.

Whilst these "participation' delegates were in Paris workers all over Leyland were confronting management over speed-up.

Jones In Cowley, internal drivers were resisting massive manning cuts anc the cleansing sections were striking to defend manning levels whilst scab labour was being brought intc the factory to do their jobs.

One of the areas regarded by management as a 'problem" (be cause workers there defend agree ments and conditions) is the Princess track in Cowley.

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S THERE A SPLIT IN WORLD STALINISM?