Workers Socialist League

Socialist Press, Trotskyism Today and the Trotskyist International Liaison Committee, 1975–1984

Rotherham March

Socialist Press no. 37, 30 June 1976 · scan pp. 5–6 · about 865 words

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The Congress government must be brought down by all means of struggle available to the workers' Government of workery, by and peasants' parties, while at the same time workers' , peasants' and small farmers' committees must be built to fight for the above socialist programme and unite the struggle against Gandhi.

In Britain workers should demand an immediate end to all aid to and investment in Gandhi's dictatorship, and that the Labour Government denounce the dictatorship and pressure for the release of political prisoners and return of basic workers' rights.

In particular they should demand the end of scandalous support for the Emergency by Labour Ministers Michael Foot and Peter Shore, both of whom have spoken at meetings organised by the Indian High Commission, and by left' Sid Bidwell who said in India that at least (like Mussolini in Italy) 'Gandhi made the trains run on time'.

The enormous forces of repression used by Gandhi are a symptom of her political weakness and isolation. On asocialist programme uniting them with the peasants, the working class can end her dictatorship and prevent her Rotherham last Saturday was the scene for the National Front's latest attempt to parade through a working class paign.

Significantly, this was the National Front's first attempt to march through the strong working class areas of South Yorkshire.

The march of 5,000 white and immigrant workers in a counter-demonstration called by the AUEW District Committee showed the determination of workers in Sheltela and Rotherham to prevent the fascists gaining any foothold.

The fascists were able to go ahead with the display for one reason above all others - the policy of the local AUEW District Committee and its Communist Party Despite widespread support for a mobilisation to prevent this fascist march, the Communist Party insistad that the demonstration be kept well away from the Front's march so as to pursue a pure "battle of ideas with the fascists.

To crown this attempt to divert away from the class issue of defence of the working class from the fascist thugs, they mobilised in a classic 'popular front' together with local Vicars and representatives of the Tory Party, including a well-known slum landlord.

AUEW District Secretary, Stalinist George Caborn's desire for "racial harmony' does not prevent a colour bar being operated by management in some factories with the knowledge of the AUEW In sharp contrast to the pious wishes of the AUEW leadership for "racial harmony' was the attitude of the majority of the demonstrators who • marched under the banner "Smash Fascism! For Workers Self Defence!"

Answering the request of local immigrant organisations, 300-400 black and white workers went to defend the immigrant area near where the National Front were holding their rally against any attempted intimidation by the departing fascists.

Other defence groups went to the bus station to ensure no attacks could take place by fascist gangs on isolated black workers boarding their buses home.

The defence of the immigrant area had been planned in advance with anyone going in being checked from early morning. Every street was guarded against attempted incursions by the fascists.

The groups of immigrant and white workers who defended this area with the full backing of .. the local community were a first step towards the formation of workers' defence groups.

DEFENCE GROUPS

The immigrant organisations are to consider setting up defence groups over the next week, and have welcomed support from the Sheffield Anti-Fascist Front.

The local AUEW leadership have given no backing to these developments. Instead Caborn has proposed an ongoing campaign for 'Racial Harmony" on a "broad" basis involving not oniy vicars, Liberais and fories, but representatives of the police!

The demand must be taken up in every trade union branch for the AUEW District Committee and the Trades Council to take on responsibility for the organisation of workers defence organisations together with the immigrant workers organisations.

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otsky of the Lenin in Red Square in 1920 or leased by capitalists or pelty producers. But, since these were all very smail, 85% of all industrial workers were still employed in the state or cooperative enterprises. And these produced as much as 93% of total industrial production.

The inflation had been traumatic. Over a period of 6 years prices had risen by something like one and a half million percent! Money, as Kamener remarked, had become simply "coloured pieces of paper'.

The economist Bazarov added that 'the time is not too far distant when the sum of those nominal roubles will exceed the number of all atoms or electrons of which our planet is composed'.

PRINTING NOTES

At one time during 1920 as many as 10,000 workers nad been employed simply printing rouble notes!

So a necessary part of the NEP was the stabilisation of the currency. This was done through the introduction of a new currency the chervonetz and the balancing of the state budget. The state bank was authorised to make loans, but on commercial terms, to both private and nationalised enterprises. The nationalised ones were expected to

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replacement by any more authoritarian regime or by the

and immigrant area and whip up a reactionary racist cam-

← Contents of Socialist Press no. 37, 30 June 1976