Socialist Press no. 46

• STOP THE CUTS! STRIKE ON NOV 17th The decision of Courtaulds monopoly - to close seven factories, axeing over 4,000 jobs is just the latest reflection of the now uncontrolled crisis of British capitalism. The factors that decided Courtauld's management to shut be seen down. these operations are currently confronting every major employer and the ruthless per to make aecision workers pay with their jobs for the fall in the profitability of the British textile industry is just the forerunner of other such moves by management Shop throughout manufacturing scandalously industry as the slump continues to deepen. ning levels by In the bare terms of profit and loss, the closures may make good cheap mathematical sense, though nobody but Courtauld's manage- ment has access to any reliable information on that (even Industry Minister Eric not including Varley has been forced to admit ment "I am gover ment has all here that.

not at sure that the

DIRECT ATTACK

that the But in terms of, the jobs conditions and living standards of the working class, the shut-down continued, of these factories represents factory direct attack. And this arrogant move by Courtauld's management by reducing is clearly nothing more than the increasing prelude to an all-out offensive for rationalisation and speed-up in every company. all these This is not in any way simply made viable vindictiveness or confusion as far as the employers are concerned, despite the whinings of Labour

COLLE

ministers and TUC leaders to that effèct. On the contrary, the employers are forced on by the rocketing rate of interest on investment, which has now reached a stagger- ing 16%. This is now 6% higher than the rate of return from even accounts the most profitable of Courtauld's subsidiaries this year, which are not expected to produce more than 10%. So simply to cut out the least profitable units from the giant firm's 370 factories nothing but an opener to a brutal making' imposition of speed-up through- making out the remaining plants.

SOCIALIST

PRESS *

FIGHT ALL

SACKINGS-

OCCUPY!

- the giant fibres-to-textiles An idea of what is required can the in the example of doomed factory at Skelmersdale.

There the firm was receiving £20 employee week per temporary emplovment subsidies over the last three months.

CHEAP LABOUR

stewards had already concluded a long- term commitment to reduce man- 30-40%. This gave the company the prospect of dirt- progressively cheaper labour into the future. industry reveal. The plant had received contin- No trade uous government subsidies these an estimated t3 million since 1968, regional TUC's reactionary, premiums, training pay- demand for import controls ments and other aid. Yet in announcing the closure of the factory, Courtaulds claimed seven factories. factory "cannot reach commercial viability" ignorance "In addition", the statement "efforts within to reach internationally throw 4,000 workers onto competitive levels of productivity dole queues. manning levels and flexibility have not

GRADUAL EROSION

proved successful." If the Skelmersdale plant under Indeed such conditions cannot be tions as have workers elsewhere government is not because might well ask what chance they believe in defence of all jobs. On have of stable employment in the the contrary, period every wren impending spending employer looks to rationalisation.

massively increasing ment. But this wherever possible Of course we have only the of jobs company story to go on. No elected workers' committee ment, voluntary redundancy and has been given 'natural wastage' access to the of collaboration of the Courtauld leaders, rather combine - or even any individual closures like this. factory threatened with closure.

full view of a hostile working class No worker has had the chance the acute investigate where the govern TUC leaders already struggling to nent subsidies went to; what thi maintain the 4½% deal against the connection is between the loss wishes of their members. plants and the profit- Courtaulds, whole Courtaulds giant; what the inner workings of the Cont'd Back Page, Col 4. The Indian has just announced that the elections, due next year, will be deferred for another year.

The elections themselves would meant an end to the noT have dictatorship because Mrs Ghandi has made it plain that they would take place whilst the Emergency" laws were still oper- What is clear dictators are scared any expression of discontent and therefore postponed the elections.

The rising hostility dictatorship is such ti servile Communist Party of India and their British counterparts of the CPGB (who have both gone along with the strikes and banning of opposition parties and imprisonment oppositionists) have protested.

"EXCESSES"

But the Stalinists make sure they only criticise the campaign sterusation they Says: Ghandi is ignorant of these Mrs. excesses. typical example of this forced sterlisation given in the Morning Star.

year old man who went shopping was simply picked sterilised. Another Jones quoted was of water and electric- ity being cut union leader asks off from a village crucial questions or because the villagers refused to be gives any call whatever apart from the sterilised nationalist Hostility to this enforced steril- isation has led to clashes in which which Courtaulds point out would at least 20 people died. Within India, another section not, in any case, save the doomed And Varley parades his obvious of the real situation within Courtaulds as an excuse to cover his complete refusal to chal- lenge the right of Courtaulds to the feeble protesta- come from the they their present and. are

CULS

unemploy- has been done by gradual non-replace- with the full trade union than grand slam carried out in embarassment of however, unlike

TROTSKYISM TODAY: POLITICAL REVOLUTION 1956

FORTNIGHTLY PAPER OF THE

WORKERS SOCIALIST LEAGUE

NO 46 * November 3rd 1976 * 10p

GANDHI

DELAYS INDIA

ELECTION

government of the bourgeoisie around J.l Narayan, which calls for an endin of the State of Emergency brought together the various othe bourgeois parties like Alkali D and the Jan Sangh, in order t consciously divert away from th class nature of the dictatorship.

In this he has been successfu State of in pulling in various of the Maois and other "left' groups. opposition group of any size ha that the developed with transitiona of allowing demands that contec Tie ove throw of the dictatorship with th fight for socialist revolution.

the even the outlawing of of PHOTO: Chris Davies. Report "excesses" while didn't think campaign A 20 Foot up and example It goes without saying that the British Labour government has along. uncritically with gone all the dictatorial measures of Mrs. Ghandi, but where are the 'lefts"?

Michael Foot and Jennie Lee have visited Cont'd Back Page Col 5. Geneva Talks or Armed Struggle: See Page 8.

TURKEY SEEDS OF CIVIL WAR

Page 2 From our own Correspondent One of the central political issues in Turkey is now what should be the attitude of the working class to the bourgeois Republican Popular Party led by former prime minister Ecevit. Stalinist leaders of the working support for Ecevit, class describe "progressive who the main IS political face of capitalism, as a "revolutionary duty'.

FACTORY OCCUPATION

But at the same time Ecevit has launched an attack on the 4,000 Profilo workers who occupied their factory against the victimisation of workers and

WIIO

Berlinguer, General Secretary of the Italian CP.

Political splits threatened the leaderships of the Com- munist Parties in both Italy France during the last and fortnight. In each case they came as the direct result of their Stalinist popular front policies and the per- for political blocs petual search with sections of their own ruling class who can for the moment be judged 'progressive'. Central the com- mittee of the Italian Party split down the middle over the Berlinguer leadership's policy continuing parliamentary support of abstentions) for the (in the form minority Christian Democratic

'AUSTERITY'

This government is now ing out 'austerity measures' - price and tax increases, cuts in holidays and public spending - rivalling the Healey Callaghan attacks the working class in Britain.

Former Party chief Luigi Longo support Berlinguer's attacked the leadership is giving to Andreotti. attack But the came HOl principles, but tactical grounds.

As one of the main architects of the 'historical compromise

TO W

Longo demng Party needed marned that the sightly more 'left' face, otherwise: "He will the not oniy lose influence and prestige among the masses that is the source ot ow strength, but te will also lose bargaining power.

INTERNATIONAL NEUS

armed battle with police. The police murdered one worker and wounded over 50, alleging them to be terrorists'. The treachery of leading workers into this bourgeois party was brought out clearly in discussions 1 with some youth members of the RPP in Istanbul. They were on a 24-hour guard, offices protecting their party against fascist attack. They told, me sections of many towns vouth the party had been expelled. (There is a two-year candidate membership in the RPP, introduced after the Stalinists turned to attempt entry work in the Party). told me "We youth are fighting against capitalism in. the

RPP*

ignorant of the fact that the RPP is a capitalist party!

STALINIST CRISIS

The upshot was an open letter from the CP to the other 'demo- cratic' including: the parties, Christian Democrats, at the end of last week, demanding that a 'discus be opened on the economic

SION

policies of the Andreotti cabinet.

These policies, it is clear to all dictated are almost sides, by the overseas bankers who are bailing out the lire.

'SAFETY-VALVE'

Neither the Central Committee split, nor the letter, were treated as more than a political satety-valve however. by Andreotti, of the Paris the leadership French CP went ahead, despite sharp

TOTES TO YO COW

WIll attempt to refurbish a its latest 'democratic image. They gave full support, including a platform speaker, to a meeting in of defence of the 'civil rights' political prisoners in the

USSR...

and Latin America, including Chile! breach Soviet with the leadership which became public when the French formally the "dictatorship of the aropped proletariat' from its programme thus widened.

'ANTI-SOVIETISM'

The from Moscow protests 'anti-Sovietism' were only those to be expected - those oI practised cynics. But nevertheless, there was in them more than a grain In placing of truth. on the same footing, the the workers' states and the fascist dictatorship of Pinochet Chile, The price of the failure of the call an strong, and managed Turkish Communist Party to emergency conference to party of union's independent general committee, the the working class has been high.

right wing bureaucrats went to the courts and used a legal judgement In the recent period alone over 3,000 have been several to ban the conference. sacked, killed, Immediately afterwards the right workers and wounded as a result of attacks from wing organised another conference, police and fascists. telling nobody until the day before.

While Stalinists have been On the day of the conference they the busy diverting from these brought along 200-300 fascists who away issues, the right wing trade union prevented militants entering the bureaucrats have collaborated conference and reinstated the right detail with police and even fascist wing general committee. forces to suppress any opposition.

Directly after the conference the Ankara victimised began sack all one employers worker, a road builder, told me: militants." "The right wing bureaucrats and The between collaboration the fascists were in absolute collab- bureaucrats and not oration in suppressing our struggle.

new in Turkey. Two of the biggest When an opposition emerged in the oil refineries in Turkey are still workers' (30,000 road union controlled by fascists, as also are a number of other factories.

: of the With the reopening fascist attacks have schools, Nearly every commenced at once. day a student is either killed or wounded. In the last two years over 3,000 students places either through suspension or intimi- fascists in their bid for dation by control of the schools.

VIOLENT ATTACKS

Teachers too have been subject- ed to violent attack. Hundreds of have lost their jobs, and teachers others have been killed wounded me overment recently attempted to outlaw the Stalinist

TOB-DER

controlled Teachers the union Association), representing the 130,000 teachers.

However, t was ruled unconsti- tutional, and the union has opened. The fascist attacks, the recent general strike, the rising prices are the daily discussion points in the But there is a silence on Marchais, General Secretary of the French CP.

what to do about it all. Most of the streets are control- either fascists or the left- led by Every wing. wall is daubed with political slogans. This is the every day evidence of seeds of civil war in Turkey. There is growing popular the French Stalinists took another hostility to the fascists and the significant step towards a practical National Front government, political alliance with the anti- especially around the issues of mass "liberal' circles of communist and unemployment the French bourgeoisie. (average rents are now over half the of such target average wage): alliance will not be political jailings But as the recent general strike but the French working class.

showed, the question of a revol- utionary leadership ready to mobilise the independent strength of the masses 1s the most burning question in Turkey today.

SUMMIT OFFERS NOTHING

anti-imperialist and anti-fascist The end of the Arab sum- of the Palestinians and struggles mit meeting in Cairo on 26th their allies. October has provided no solu- The occasion seems be have been tion to the problems facing used more for the patching up of old disputes like those between Dr.

the Arab masses, especially the Kissinger's friend, President Sadat embattled Palestinians in the of Egypt and the extreme right ruins of their refugee camps in Lybia, Colonel wing ruler of Beirut. Gadafi. In case anybody persisted in the Although the latest ceasefire mistaken notion that the bloody seems be holding Lebanon, 1n the Arab heads of state refused to conflicts in Lebanon have been 'religious' in character, the inter- commit themselves the Pales- vention of the Israelis on the side tinian demands that no one country of the right wing forces has been should provide all the members for confirmed numerous Arab press force reports over the past week.

which is supposed to police this and No reporter has managed to see any further agreement. Israel's action, though soldiers in one saw "Phalangist troops wearing

NO SOLUTION

Israel's uniforms" and the israeli The heads of state, from the government has not sought to deny of reactionary monarchs Saudi that they have been giving supplies Arabia and Jordan to the so-called to the Lebanese fascists.

progressives of Iraq, can in no way The fact that the Zionists have provide a lasting solution for the found it necessary to do this shows SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 3rd November 1976 Irish Militant Murdered

THE

CAPITALIST

PRESS

last week could hardly conceal their delight over at least one event in former Uster. Provisional Sinn Fein leader Maire Drumm by 'loyalist' gunmen in the Mater Hospital, Belfast. To read the headlines and the abuse in such papers as the Sun and that Mrs. Mirror, you would think Drumm herself had done the killing instead of being the innocent victim of sectarian venom. We at Socialist Press hold right-wing brief for the rather political opinions of Mrs.

, Drumm, her but we do recognise as genuine and vigorous opponent of British imperialism. Her speeches against the barbar.

ity of the British troops in Ireland brought down on her the hatred of of imperialist and every supporter capitalist exploitation. The hundreds at her funeral give the the lie to the propaganda In capitalist press about the movement against the British presence being fanatical THe WOrk OI & leW gunmen. The struggle for Irish national independence is one that has cone on in every generation and in this period has lived through the force- fulness and dedication of those such as Maire Drumm. We are not surprised to discover that the perpetrators Mrs. Drumm's murder have not been apprehended. However, naturally we are about the fact that an suspicious inside knowledge of the routines of the hospital were necessary for the killing, and that those who did it got in and out without discovery worth noting that the It is also famous white coats used were Hopewell found within hours In Cresent "loyalist' Shankill in the dica How y found these alues ask, that found these the army yet were unable to dis- early, and cover the killers? This raises, as so often before, the called loyalis of just who. ine so like the loyalist 'Ulster Freedom Fighters' and 'Red Hand Commandoes', both of whom responsibility, claimed have actually work for. the strength of the resistence of the and leftist forces Lebanon. No invading force yet thrown at them - Syrian, "peace-keeping' OI - has defeated their fight otherwise for the right to organise themselves struggle on for their national to rights. It is not the government leaders who will guarantee these in Cairo rights, but the Arab workers and peasants, mobilised on a revolution-

US ELECTIONS

A feature article on the of the American outcome will Presidential elections appear in the next edition of 'Socialist Press.

CHINA - FRAME-UP INQUIRY LAUNCHED

MAO AND THE MASSES

SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 3rd November 1976 The from news Shanghai last weekend that the Chinese 1930's, Communist Party is to set up a plotting commission of inquiry Into The the 'crimes of the anti-party clique' underlines the close and parallels with the Stalinist purges in the Soviet Union.

Reports indicate will be headed by Marshall Yeh Cien-ying, One Party Vice Chairman and Defence announced The scale of the frame-ups Minister. suspend over which he is likely to inquiry preside may be gathered from Shanghai reporting that the 'Wang-

MUSICA

Chang-Chiang-Yao clique' are under arrest being and are This interrogated activities going back to 1011 immediately before the beginning of the Cultural Revolution in 1966. Similarly with Bukharin and others who were tried as 'Rights The Workers Socialist League The Workers Socialist League is a Trotskyist organisation fighting to build a revolutionary leadership class in opposition to the betrayals of both "left" and right wing Labour and trade Party. In the daily struggle to take the demands and principles of Trotsky's Transitional Programme into the trade unions, the WSL has been at the coretront of the fight for the sliding scaie full pay - demands which only aiternative to Jones' £6 pay redundancies by the bureaucracy. In today's fight against the TÜC's 44% pay cutting deal with Healey this demand for a sliding scale of wages (rising according to the rising cost of living. as assessed by trade union committees) is the essential basis of consistent opposition.

In the Health Service WSL comrades have led the struggle for a sliding scale of NHS spending, for the start of workers' control of the service (beginning with opening the books of the Health Authorities), along with the fight to end all private practice. Perhaps more important we have led the growing call for strike action to defend the NHS against the cuts and 'to implement these policies, fighting those like the ASTMS and NUPE leadership who substitute the words for the action.

In London this policy has already won a big response with the one- day action against the closure of the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Hospital 2,000 hospital workers in the area struck and 400 marched to when lobby MPs against the cuts.

In local disputes also, demands of the Transitional Programme, putting forward in every case the only real opposition to the Stalinists and the right-wing. Our struggle for the forms of "workers' participation" have won mass responses.

At the put forward same time we have unemployment, calling for unity of employed and unemployed through the fight to mobilise the trade union movement.

WSL

the only movement that transitional demands, going beyond mere trade union militancy to pose the political issues to workers.

In doing this our comrades have been forced also to lead struggles for trade union democracy against the Stalinists and right-wing.

But our struggle for the continuity of the principles of Trotskyism is in no way a task confined to Britain. It requires an attentiori and involve- ment in the international struggles of the rebuild the Trotskyist Fourth International.

So while many interventions in Britain have developed the League's grasp of Trotsky's Transitional Programme, there has been a consistent drive to deepen and enrich the movement's understanding of the history and the present crisis of the essential part of any serious initiative towards its reconstruction.

We urge all readers who agree on the need for revolutionary leadership nd the demands we put forward to find out more about the WSt an in our fight in the labour movemen the present publicly disagreed! - had 'falsified' Chairman Mao Tse-tung. 'lefts'. main accusers. one of the placed his the People's. of Mao's views. removed Teng with Kissinger and Trotskyites' in Moscow in the they were accused of the murder of Lenin almost twenty years earlier!

Chinese purges rival Stalin's also in the speed, cynicism "unanimity' of the pontica

SUSPENDED

of the effects of the 'inquiry' will be to of the the work earlier headed by one of the Sang Chun-chia Deto the Crimes four', Deputy Premier of Teng Hsiao-ping. Dear Editor investigation would like to set up the rightist consider to be Teng was removed in April. follow- ing the clashes in Peking over the and the Chinese revolution.

commemoration of Chou En-lai.

One of the main charges levelled the minis in or i mobilisation strictly selves. And in the second article refer to the bureaucracs tinually wracked the mass movement." look reverses affairs. Even without Chinese in the working problege has union leaders and the Communist privilege options open to the bureaucracy.

Mao's the Red Guards of wages, and work sharing on necessary concession on his part to at the 1975 T&GWU Conference were the plan and the wholesale acceptance of meeting called IWA-GB to discuss the form- ation of WSL comrades have tested and developed the mittee in the city. Speakers from stressed the class nature of racism 'demand in the motor industry and against all and the way it is used by the ruling class to divide workers from each- policy to fight other. fights consistently for as a basis for the committee.

To bureaucratic manipulation of the and neo-fascist organisations (such the National Party and British their allies in financial, business and working class and moves to government circles. racist and all other propaganda that creates false workers. 2. 1o help build and support all Trotskyist Fourth International, as an forms necessary organisations threatened by racists or fascists.

3. To organise black and white,

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

by the 'lefts' against Teng - charges gave interview an to with which not one single member journalists in ruling echelon he disputed the description of the was that he 'gang of four' as 'leftists', claiming thought of that they sought to "pull down the ilag raised by Chairman The attacks on Teng have been suriety ha hin euphemism for the quietly phased out since Hua Kuo- feng and his supporters ousted the restoration of capitalism).

charges are now being levelled at Teng's former Although An Kang denied that the four would be executed, accusa- tions of this sort obviously provide

LIES

the basis for charges of treason.

Among the orchestrated denunc- In particular it is claimed that iations of the past three weeks one of the obvious charges which has four, Yao Wen-yuan been supporters in control of so far Daily and used it to absent has been that of any sort of disseminate lies, and falsifications complicity with the Soviet leader- s. This lends weight to the sugges- Yao's nominees have now been have, neported at tion that the new leadership intend "self-criticisms. And after decent interval he end of last week the new acting respond to the repeated overtures editor of People's Daily, An Kang from Moscow.

LETTER:

maintain the bureaucracy in power, raise what I Similarly the uprisings in Peking a weakness in the and Wuhan last year made otherwise excellent articles on Mao political options out question. You argue in the first article that The mobilisation of the Chinese "look to masses is just as much a part of the the world struggle agaisnt capitalism as within limits set by them- the movements among Eastern Europe. you The fierce debate between rival "con- factions in the Chinese bureaucracy with internal of the difficulty is a reflection crises only rarely brought out into controlling Chinese rather than a cause of their mobil- I would suggest that this out- JaLIUlI the true state Their failure to prevent mobilisation can be seen coherent series of mass struggles that have political leadership, the readiness of occurred from the masses struggle Flowers movement in 1956 to the against any return towards private violent demonstrations consolidation of Chou-En-lai's death. severely limited the The same attitudes are reflected in the analysis of the period 1945- temporary alliance with 1949. Io view Mao's victory as due in 1966 was a military organisation similar to the American commen-

COVENTRY ANTI-RACIST

COmmITTEE Over 100 people attended a better housing, education, health Coventry and social services. To oppose lation and to fight for the repeal an anti-racist com- of all racist immigration laws.

DEMONSTRATION

platform There to be agreement that the initial focus of the committee would be around the November 21st Demonstration called by

FOUR POINTS

Labour Party. The Workers Socialist The meeting agreed four points has continually stressed the need for new leadership in the working campaign against fascist class, built around a programme of action Front, on wages unemployment National and the cuts. Movement) and This is the only was to defeat and fascists. combat formulation in point 3 provides no basis for the building of such a divisions leadership.

USEFUL ROLE

of self-defence any community Nevertheless, if they are rootea in the working class, anti-racist and anti-iascist committees con mora Page. western Peking during which Mao and backward conspicuously - to tator of the 1960s who blamed th French defeat Indochina • 1 certain incorrect military tactics.

of' the While it is true that Mao stoo to one side and watched the mas of 1945-46 be defeated struggle was surely the refusal of accept Kuo Min Tan workers in government or fight for it in 1947 that made victor! inevitable. It can be predicted with certain ty that the developing response o masses the working the internat class ional crisis of capitalism will find response in the Chinese working this class, where the seed in the of an inde pendent class outlook became apparent as long Hundred ago as 1964 and has no misappeared since.

mass could be following switched on and off by the bureau- cracy as the articles suggest the out- look for the future of would be bleak indeed. Yours fraternally, G.W., Birmingham physical controntation with the fascists. all racist legis- Speaking from the floor at the Coventry meeting a member of the Workers Socialist League argued that one of the first of the acts committee should be the calling of general public meeting to discuss the formation workers defence squads. Anti-Racialist the The Student Movement Confer- League ence on Ireland is to be held at the University of Kent at Canterbury on Saturday November 16th.

Although the Conference is called on the platform Repression in 'Campaign Against Northern Ireland', it in fact puts vague forward no formulated programme or demands. While the position of the Workers Socialist League is unam- biguously for the withdrawal of all troops from Ireland and self-deter- mination for the Irish people, this Conference in raising discussion on Britain's role Ireland in

FIGHT BACK

AGAINST WAGE

CONTROL

There, is a powerful feeling building up within the workers?

movement against the TUC's 42% wage cutting pay policy and the attacks by union bureaucrats on the shop floor. This was indicated by the turn out of delegates and visitors at the Confer- ence on Wage Control and Union Democracy called last Sunday in Birmingham by the ad-hoc Campaign for Democracy in the Labour Movement. Those present heard Chairman Gerry Casey (Oxford UPW, speak- ling in a personal capacity) stress the dink between the attacks by union officials on democratic rights of the the attempts by membership and the

TUC

to enforce the 'social ¡contract? with the Labour govern- ment and the CBI. that the Highlighting the fact repression of democracy within the unions, while definitely growing as and living TAte

JOUS

standards of union members, is not new issue, Comrade Casey pointed to three previous instances Alan Thornett where stewards had been victimised management with the colabor- ation of union officials - at Fords on behalf of the ad-hoc conference 1971, Halewood organising Filkington's glass works in St Thornett, Chairman of the 5/293 Helens. and in Leyland's Cowley Branch at Cowley, showed how the Assembly Plant in 1974, where last eighteen months in particular had seen an onslaught on demo- Part of the audience of nearly 300 trade unionists at the Wage Control Conference.

from deputy senior steward Alan cratic rights linked completely with Thornett. the bureaucracy's need to police the class in

WORKIN

LAUGHING

order to impose wage control.

attacks This was because they face the

NOW

these were again resistance of a powertul internat- factories. being launched in the ional movement of the working *Management must be laughing up class, stressed Comrade Thornett: their sleeves they being now "From Vietnam Soweto; to allowed to pick ana ciouse from the Ford and Rubber workers be shop stewards", said mould the US to the recent general Comrade Casey. France and Italy, and in strikes 1n And at the same time, these Britain the vote of the seamen and have been accompanied by the 22-week Trico strike for equal imposition of police control of of pay show strength the Councils through the TUC The Trades workers' movement. Against such Model Rule 15. strength the bureaucracy is forced for these reasons that to act through manoeuvres.'

Cotrade Casey said he welcomed

ONLY INITIATIVE

feti back - and he was willing that this rist possible victimisation in his Pointing out the only initiative tion is order to give support Conference was the pay policy. against Gerry Casey inability of others to fight wage control: call a conference on can

*YDO

wages today? To call such a confer- ence your own record is called at once into question. The social democrats could not do it, they are actually policing the control. The Tribunites could not call such a conference because they have provided a left cover for the 4½%, refusing to fight it at key moments Communist Party can do The nothing but mouth general phrases collective bargaining", "free about policy to defend living with no was Ken standards. It Gil ot the Communist who withdrew Party the TASS opposition motion and Contract allowed the Social to become April 19t4ę, policy of the TUC in

ARGUMENT

Comrade Thornett showed how the and the about gover men the argument used now by that wage increases cause inflation and real wages must be cut to cut inflation is the argument of capital- ism. It was the same arcument that put Heath into confrontation with the miners, he said. wolsivild- tion which destroyed the Tory Therefore the Labour govern-. ment was elected on the wages issue office to oppose wage control after Heath was defeated by Outlining some of the manoeu- vies of the TUC leaders and partic- Biennial ularly the

T&GWU

Delegate Conference to produce the 17-1 stage-managed 4½% p policy, Comrade of the on to examine the Thornett went conditions which drive the working class into collision with this policy and those who support it.

Inflation was now acknowledged - despite cuts in wages - to be again rising and already standing at a 15% annual while interest rates rate, This had to mean have also soared. of industrial invest- disruption fresh attempts to impose ment, and closures, and another speed-up round of spending cuts as the con- ditions of the latest IF loan were The result of this crisis was to drag the bureaucracy further into line with management arguing

LABOUR PARTY

amend- A supplementary resolution ment to the main the detailing demands for struggle for democracy in the Labour Party was moved at Richard the Conference by Shield, a delegate from the at University NUPE branch College Hospital, London.

the contrast Stressing the 1974 Labour between election manifesto and the record of the Labour govern- ment the amendment went on: This year's Labour Party confer- ence resolved, for example, to "sup- port those Labour councils which have refused to implement the cuts, Labour Groups and calls on other follow suit": urged "the Labour Party to conduct an active SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 3rd November 1976

TRICO-

FIGHT

The 22-week Trico strike not just for was victory but for the equal pay, establishment of trade union rights, and represented a blow at the social contract. This was the message in a strong Strike speech to the conference by Committee member Sally Groves, speaking in a personal capacity.

The strike had taken place in a firm where trade unionists had to start from scratc - there was no history or record of defence of trade union principles in the firm.

DETERMINATION

The strike was held together by the unity and determination of the 450 women, who were driven on to fight not only by the situation at Trico, but also by the all-round

RULE 15

Also from the platform, Peter McIntyre, Oxford eul Banes, outlined some delegate from of bureaucratic manoeuvres that paved the way for the disaffi- Oxford Trades Council by TUC, and the setting uprades the dominated right-wing Union Council' with the most rep- ressive possible rule book - includ- the "viability" of the company.

"This also through runs right Comrade the Labour Thornett stressed. pool Conference there were really only two decisions made. The first, on the first day of the Conference support for the Social was The other was the vote Contract n the last day to support Healey' policy. n between w economic all the 'left' phrases and pious were the resolutions - but these endorsed block policies In fighting back to defend living standards, , the central demand had for linked to sliding of rising to scale wages, And in the fight match inflation. for this demand, workers must demand that the account books of so opened up Kritish capitaism

FIGHT PROPOSED

expenditure", and it called on the National Executive Committee support trade unions opposing the cuts. the conference same AL Healey Callaghan however, the promptly announced impossibility of carrying out these the block decisions and through vote of the unions secured endorse- ment of the social contract.

Most of the Constituency

(CLP)

Labour Parties' delegates voted against the 'contract, but the previous of the wage catarline restraint "deal at the TUC, with spurious argument about wages causing inflation and "giving a year for Britain" meant that the Labour had incomes government policy sewn up.

CRUCIAL

Thus the whole question of democracy in the Labour Party, as well,

PRICE EXPLOSION WILL

SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 3rd November 1976 attacks on their living standards - through pay cuts and cuts in the • social services, Comrade Groves went on.

MORE QUICKLY

The victory could have been won much more quickly if they had had the backing of the whole workforce from the start, and the active support of other sections of workers. The fight was a major one - not at all one of fighting for pin money' as less conscious workers thoughough we didn't realise first the enormous fight we had taken on, the Company did. They didn't just organise scab lorries they convoys, American sent style" said Comrade Groves.

The police had at one point sent five coachloads of men down to force lorries through 25 pickets.

STRUGGLE

of the notorious ing both clauses "gag" rule, Model Rule 15.

result, Comrade McIntyre double-edged: pointed out, was while the right wing had won temporary victory along with their CP allies, the depths to which the TUC bureaucrats will stoop, was exposed to a wider than ever layer of active trade unionists in the

IMF

readily to the bankers, be elected trade opened committees, as part of the fight for nationalisation of bankrupt firms.

Comrade Thornett concluded by pointing out the importance of the Conference. "There be a may only few hundred at this Conference. But it is always case that the key the the questions in workers' move- ment - the fight for principle and for leadership - are at first qualita- tive questions. What we are discuss- ing here today the working class will discussing in the next period. We see this Conference as the first step in mobilising and leading a much wider struggle against wage control and in defence of jobs and living standards." Keith Vaness, platform speaker on the Labour Party. question. The Labour leaders must be Labour Party forced to abide by policy or be removed. The govern- accountable

TELLINGL

Labour Party conference. While the Labour government ignores the basic needs of the work- class which office, ing it in Put CLPs are beginning to retreat. Joint campaigns against cuts, unemployment and racialism have been started in areas. Hill lo CLPs Many are fighting implement the decisions of the Labour Party Conference.

DISREGARDED

Yet they have to watch their ownl MPs in Parliament disregard these struggles or pay lip service to opposition to the Wilson/Callaghan government's betrayals.*

SHOWS READINESS TO

Sally Groves speaking from the platform The outcome of the strike was have wider implications than that "you cannot win to confirm that of the Ford women in 1968. It has rights legal machinery and through exposed smashed aside the Comrade Groves stressed. "We were Equal Pay Act and exposed what a proved right never to have touched farce it is. And it has shown we can the Equal Pay Tribunal,' beat the TUC pay policy, Comrade The success at Trico could now Groves concluded.

OPEN UP FIGHT

"The capitalist system will create such a massive price explosion that the working class will have to fight in defence of living standards.

This Conference is about leadership for such a fight."

This was the view expressed in the discussion by Tim Ö'Sullivan, bringing fraternal greetings of the

T&GWÜ

5/55 Branch to Conference. Tim O'Sullivan He referred to the way in which Comrade the

T&GWU

bureaucracy had cracy" continuted directly intervened to split up the O'Sullivan. 5/55 Branch in 1974, when it had "You can sit here and listen to over 5,000 members, and a leader- what is going on, but it is only a shithey modisecond to conta talking shop unless you go back to mobilised your branches, throw those but the shop stewards who sit on participa- against us - militants are get rid of them, still there, fighting the bureau- tion committees, Hammersmith North

CLP

have rejected their MPs, Prentice and must be forced to end all secres Tomney, both of whom openly defied even the constitution of the the mary serveen Labour Party, as well as its policies.

Some prospective parliamentary cancicates nave already agreed lo follow Labour policy councillors to fight for the policies conference and the decisions of their general management committees. fight for the We support the "Newington CLP, for example, have mandatory reselection of all candi- dates before every election. Labour MPs must be made accountable to vote against rent increases.

their GMCs. We must build an alternative leadership in the Labour Party, Some councils have been forced leadership which fights to resist the Batt ospout us our cine n attacks on jobs and living standards through such policies work- are not generally sharing on full pay, a sliding scale useful wages, programmes public works. We must fight to expose and contrary, as bound instead by the replace every Labour representative who does not carry out conference decisions the interests of the In the social 1avUl reform pledges of the manifesto.

sentatives of the Labour Party must subject to immediate recall, paid

ANNUAL ELECTION

the wage of a skilled worker with all expenses vetted by committees The Labour Party leader, the National Executive Committee and constantly be made accountable to other national and regional commit- the mass of Labour Party members fees must be elected once a year at who are increasingly conference, and these leaders must opposition to the betrayals of the accountable between

SUPPORT FOR

WORKERS

In STRUGGLE The prospect of a renewed struggle in defence of jobs at the Export Packing Services factory near Banbury was recognised in an emergency resolution moved at the Con- ference by the Organising Committee. "That this Conference supports the struggle in defence of jobs at Export Packing Services, Banbury, and therefore calls upon delegates to move support in their branches, and gives the Organising Committee the authority to recall the Confer- ence defence of EPS if so requested by the trade union move- ment at EPS. addition money 1n over and above expenses in the collection be made available

EPS

to shop ste wards comte trom edes 5/104 delegate T&GWU branch EPS gave the Conference details of the way in 'participation' which the plans and fight for a socialist leadership" 1e said Terry Barrett,

(T&GWU,

personal capacity) stressed the need to fight for the sliding scale of "The sliding scale is vital for water us to defend our living standards" insisted, pointing out that, whereas many union officials were appointed, "even Popes are elected when one dies - though you have to be a Catholic to stand!"

Terry Barrett Not one of the 23 resolutions opposing wage control submitted to

NUR

Conference final agenda. Instead they selected one wnica supportea Ine luc pa policy, Philip Lewis, reported (Barnsbury

NUR,

personal 111 capacity). And although his branch had voted support. for this Conference it had been manoeuvred out by the officials. "Any resolution opposing union policy will be acted against he said. Several speakers in the discusion questioned whether the main resol- ution was correct in pinning the responsibility for control wage firmly on the trade union leaders.

"How is it that time and time again, the working class allows itself to be sold the down river by these arguments?" asked one such Margaret McNab, speaker, who expressed the point most clearly Sha and of other delegates went on to point out that the document lacked any demands for women workers. This was taken up by Di Parkin

(NATFHE,

in a personal capacity) who pointed out that the low leve Page S introduced in British Leyland were direct noW having impact workers at

EPS

a Leyland By their collaboration in the participation

T&GWU

officials were involved in the loss of T&GWU jobs elsewhere, with the threatened withdrawal of Leyland work from EPS into the Leyland factory at Cowley. The resolution of emergency support was passed unanimously.

The Conference also voted unan donate £25 from the imously to proceeds of the collection to the strike fund supporting five womer G&MWU members on strike at the Holbrook of North Eas London Polytechnic against work ing with The asbestos cleaners at the annexe, have beer weeks and have bee picketing the annexe twelve hour a day. Di Parkin was precisely because the bureau- cracy refuses to take seriously the tient to umionise women And when it comes to the ques , IL 15 agam Coc bureaucracy that has to be fought since they police the pay laws, stressed Comrade Parkin. women's 'The fight against the oppression must be linked to the the it main additional sections putting a clear position on endorsement on the understanding be some people had referred to the Comrade Thornett went on "But the working class starts not from its backward ideas but from is this which wages inevitable."

RECALL CONFERENCE

Stressing the recalled conference to be held in Thorneti February, Comrade ended by calling on all organisa tions in the labour movement to send delegates to what should be an enlarged Organisng Committee.

The emergency resolution, passed unanimously, states that: "This Conference calls for strike action on November 17th and sup ports lobbies called on that day.

"This Conference will re- be called in February 1977 and that the Organising Committee function continues and be enlarged and that it shoulo coordinate the creation of regional

DEFEND THE METHOD

OF THE TRANSITIONAL

Lessons from the split in the Workers Internationalist League (Greece].

This is the third of five parts of the Document by the Communist Internationalist League, (the expelled majority of the Greek Workers Internationalist League. The majority of the WIL were expelled after the intervention of Gerry Healy, (then General Secretary of the British Workers Revolutionary Party) acting in the This article began by stress- ing that the split in the Greek WIL must be understood as a struggle, and not in political terms of individuals or person- alities. It then went on to trace the historical roots of the propag- method andist, sectarian the leadership of the Internat- showing ional Committee the way in which it produces a rejection of Trotsky's Transit- and the ional Programme materialist method of Marxism.

The sectarians seek a foundation for their neo-Hegelian (which are a complete rejection of the most tenuous UH- basis. Tze: rest on a single formula-

PROGRAMME

name of the International Committee of the Fourth International.

the sectarians never derstood Lenin, and sis falsify understood him. Their theory and their practice opposed to the whole is completely life and work of the Bolshevism. himself of all, Lenin First one-sidedness and recognised thus the incorrectness of the point on which they take their stand.

book Stalin Trotsky, in his writes: of What Is To Be "The author recognised later the one Done? wrong consequently sided and of this through theory, he which at particular

WHOLE

"econom- directed his fire, against ism" with its excessive respect for workers' of the the spontaneity movement. (Stalin, Volume 1).

CONSCIOUSNESS

Of course we know that when Lenin writes that comes to the proletariat from the outside, he understands completely different way from the sectarians. Lenin means, (and this is absol- correct) that socialist Lenin with delegates to the Second Congress of the Communist International but it must be the class struggle, brought to the proletariat from the "outside" from the Marxist party. not at all mean this But does that the scientific consciousness of the party develops within the four office, walls newspaper independent of the class struggle, or outside of it. Rosa Luxemburg that it will Nor does it mean SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 3rd November 1976 Menshevik Thornett in Unmasked: «We Trotskyists say plainly that of the transitional demands TOTe within the boundaries can be met of the capitalist system and that the realisation of these demands - as 1917 - leads Lenin showed the conquest of necessarily power." And we say to this lamentable sectarian: not only the transitional but the simplest demands demands far economic today of the beyond the limitations capitalist system.

NO IMPROVEMENTS

despite Is it not a fact that workers can temporary successes, longer improve their conditions of life under capitalism?

only a scholastic sectarian But struggle who observes binoculars can put the through question in this way. Banda's position is nothing but a method to transform the critique of for apologetics imperialism into British imperialism, a left' cover of the while bending in front in practice lining up bourgeoisie, with the reformists - who likewise struggle for any take no they consider because The sectarian, with conte be os spontaneity turns subservient to it as the reformist.

The sectarian's method is just the other side of the reformist coin.

STAND ASIDE

To stand aside from the masses with a list of slogans and wait unti the evils of the capitalist Cisi themselves to oblige them by "leap" to the famous periorIt revolutionary consciousness complete submission to spontaneity another form. Lenin fought such submission in What Is To Be Done? Our sectarians line up in practice with the opportunists, completely placing no demands under a govern.

ment like that of Heath in Britair or Karamanlis in Greece. Why should they? These govern- ments are not in a position to meet and the struggle workers demands, for such demands does not promise us "tangible results", as the Russian One the put economists of this practical consequences method was that Healy's puppets in Greece accepted the anti-union law of Karamanlis and publicly, in front of workers, opposed violation Trotskyism defaming taiws. within the trade union movement.

OVERTHROW

they said The reason was question is that the real nOt to of Karamanlis but vinlate the laws to overthrow him! What a perver- sion of Marxism! Let us see what the "reformist" Trotsky has to say on this question: "Mr Roosevelt insists on public that this, works.

DUT

with mines, railroads, etc together And that absorb people. all should have the a decent possibility to live not lower than now, and manner we ask that Mr Roosevelt with his such brain must propose public works that programme of everyone capable of working can This is wages. work decent Lenin was the last man possible with sliding scale of struggle. wages and hours." upon whom the sectarians can off- "theories" with Trotsky, May load their idealist (Discussion Be Done?, And in What 19th 1938). which they invoke, Lenin's critique Let us say in passing that Healy's of the economists turns precisely defends itself London clique also. using the argument that the reform- against limited the movement ists have always accused revolution- economists of the working class to trade union and aries sectarians, for economic demands declare that sectarians are struggles they and refused to struggle for political revolutionaries! des nos bossible in because their view it demands

LUDICROUS

that the auto- cracy would concede them, so that is not a kernel of logic There the struggle not promise this ludicrous demagogy "tangible results" within for interna economists, intended only The from being consumption. slid into critics oi the aulociany We say: if the reformists brand, apologists. Lenin becoming its sectarians, revolutionaries this fought precisely sectarians blame revolutionaries for attack Tancey the opposite failing: they revolutionaries as "reformists"

'LEFT' COMMUNIST

"left" Isn't it true that character- Bukharin at one point Lenin fought the same sectaran ised Lenin as a "right"? This should took up method, against the Russian "left" not be forgotten. struggle conclusions of The demagogic communists and Rosa

LUXIDERE

petty-bourgeois Healy clique in his critique "For the Brochure of the of arrived through a process Junius". Because democracy and empirical analysis, bear no relation- national independence cannot exist dialectical method of of the ship the imperialism, to Marxism which teaches us to judge "lefts" refused the struggle tor

IOCIALIST PRESS Mednesday Ird November 1976 In the Transitional Frogramme be judged Trotsky with contempt the ctive criteria; such assess- rejects of the sectarians and be based sophistries

BIOL

asations coming from different the reformists: olitical groups. "If capitalism is incapable of here that the Tories Let say the demands inevitably satisiying Britain and Karamanlis in Greece arising the calamities gener-

SOUTE

with very by itself, then let perisa. ated ion of these "revolutionaries" "unrealisability "Realisability" it is "reactionary utopia" and giyen instance a question " formesm" for the Is l unc working class of the relationship of forces, which place demands bourgeois can be decided only by the struggle.

overnments. By means struggle, 01 This is immensely more import- matter what its immediate practical mat than the sophistries of the lead- understand the neces the workers wil og clique of the WRP. best come to What Is To Be Lenin writes in siayery.* liquidating capitalist "Revolutionary Social-Demo- (Folrose edition, p.10) included the has away struggle for reforms as part of its

DEFAMING

"econ- But utilises the In their application, omic" agitation for the purpose of concepts of the sectarians are a real presenting to the government not comedy defaming Trotskyism. only demands for all sorts of Let us take two of the many Greek (and primarily) Du ace examples. the demand that it cease to be an The first strike after the collapse autocratic government." in the National (Lenin, Collected Works, Vol. 5 The Stalin- Can factory p.405). ists and the

REJECTED

when one of the puppets Healy's London 0I

WRP

with meeting. considered "spontan- He did problems of revolution Trotsky led and The their struggle the concrete founded cowardly Healy Despite this, Communist towards Aris with It is a real method. published his Even partners in expelled the secretary of the later and of organisation the majority James Burnham. Banda, General Secretary of the WRP the members. (213 of the members Their double dealing cannot be were expelled, and more are on the tolerated any longer. as much as he way to joining us). Banda can turn In the second case another Healy in his opinion, likes around what, puppet - who says that he learned is the 'decisive' question of whether demands are "realisable" Marxism studying Banda's class in the during the Conference speaking But the working as a Trotskyist, said in a meeting of for demands vital to its struggle Medicine survival, does not have "dilemmas' students the OI School where he studies, that the of that description. The Britain did not broken panes the School's miners 1n stop to ask Heath whether he could could replaced • not be their demands or not. They without overthrow of the satisty started a prolonged, heroic struggle Karamanlis! Naturally, Karamanlis, tearing - and they overthrew him.

his overthrow by the students of Medicine School, the Dental

VERIFIED

preferred replace the broken LU of

WRP

glass. The leadership the overthrow of Heath The London leadership tried to claims that the international Trotskyist verified its policies. Sectarians are movement into a madhouse of this equipped only for such commentar- ies. description. And they still dare to claim that In fact, they with impo they have Marxism and Trotskyism! strike: of revolution- the but to he in The Healy Sect's Policy in the strug 'Eskimo' factory occupation. ly to its conclusion. Capitalist repeat- edly introduce explain, "self- demands for Within the tramework of restra is in no factional effort to create a clique positi of puppets within the Greek sectin the workers. leadership of the British WRP the Revolutionaries, explain Mike Banda to Greece this in their But only summer (1975) to observe the 7th sectarians draw this the Conference of the Workers Inter- conclusion that they natiandi Trigue to impose economic from the struggle the tried This demands. policies of his petty-bourgeois sect tion, which the In criticising the way in which the pract with the leadership of the WIL led the sit-in reformists. strike in the appliance factory. - if one Call usu bourgeois sect our comrades, We say that people who tasks within could struggle to our comrades question but....not as an ultimatum! 'Eskimo' very well a The workers would Meader corecto who consider any advanced at "Eskimo', obliged, before Karamanlis, to take into advanced their less colleagues, the conserv- white personnel the provisional strike at 'Eskimo' sible. would advanced workers give their support to a light who, in a strike of Karamanlis.... "not 'The question of the overthrow of Karamanlis should have been put forward, is not important and it factory would havenaded suppe comrades whether 'revolution-

OUI

petty-bourgeois aries' kept saying. And they added with enormous cynicism: "The workers, through their would understand that the failure, Trotskyists were right." would What workers really understand in such a case, would be that the Trotskyists are babblers and weable told the work these They would «Trotskyists": "You are good prophets but bad leaders. You do not know how to defeat your enemies. We would like with the That is why we wanted to give you OUr unskilled with your support.

DUTI

stand you prevented us from doing consequence of thit bety The had bourgeois policy the would have been applied domination of the strike by the Stalinists - ever ready to betray.

DEGENERATE

The occupation would not have perhaps not even the taken place, The struggle would degen- strike. erate into work stoppages of only with long drawn two hours a day. "negotiations" and with the out militant sacking •11 workers. So the workers would not have as they had the chance to know have now learned not only the role of Karamanlis, who sided with the employer (the employer himself was an Under Secretary under Junta) but the role of the Stalinists of ESAK and AEM (trade fractions of the two Com- munist Parties). The Stalinists acted as maniac openly allying breakers, the employer, the themselves with "trade unionists" of the govern- ment, and the government itself.

in Searned more eight days about their enemies and their friends than they could have rage 7 Trotsky. Karamanlis learned in 800 years of propaganda Van by Mr. Der Porten. Banda, ed]. At every step we exposed all the breaking strike conspiracies Karamanlis and his Stalinist agents prestig Eskimo' of The our organisation the workers was among and among workers throughout the whole of Athens. would perhaps its had been more isation in struggle of the Not for one of overthrow Karamanlis. DespIte our struggle, government the Oropos We went peasants to lobbied their Parliament right wing We showed the We can struggle one picture: posters nation is "He the only capital of were tom from all public places Oropos. SulLiva.

*FOOTNOTE:

Aris Veloubiotis: One of the and most popular militant leaders of the ELAS (army of the Communist Party) who refused to surrender the army after the Vauliza agreement and contin. ued the struggle with small forces. He was denounced and expelled by CP that, and the leadership for most probably betrayed by them to the Gendarmerie which finally killed him and his men.

OR ARMED STRUGGLE?

Page 8

GENEVA TALKS-

Socialist Press: How do you see the Geneva conference? "It is one of the ways in which Kissinger and the imperialist camp are tryinto indications are that indications economically it's a militarily before he matter months There's collapses. Tremendous desperation to try and ensure that capitalist/imperialist interests Zimbabwe are protected. Geneva is the first mechanism The they are using to ensure this.

talks. method of sustaining him financial and Smith giving aid through interim personal government, through a UN or other peace-keeping force. This goes to the counter of ZANU which principies founded for one specific purpose to get hold of the instruments of power by force and nowhere by compromise. Muzorewa A reformist constitutional settle- ment is intended to weaken the The masses of the people totally set up a proetessive torces and to reject this man as a serious leader neo-colonial government which This interyiew with four militants of the Zimbabwe African National Union, ZANU, (speaking would perpetuate change." interests in our country and totally wipe out any possibility of revolution." Why then, does ZANU agree to be in a united front with him?

«The front is not an agreement Why, then has the ZANU leader- between two personalities.

It is a ship not in principle rejected any within which the progres- participation in Geneva? sive elements of ZAPU can join the "Because ZANU is a democratic people's war. We do not believe that the leaders alone without leadership of

ZAPU

completely consulting the relevant bodies of reflects the position of its members.

the party. FOr instance, recently when Only after our Congress in ZAPU forces were ordered to with- this is the Lusaka could one say draw from ZIPA (the Zimbabwe ZANU statement on this question."

People's Army) many them ¡See Socinist fress comment - refused and remained within ZIPA.

Ed.] One wonders, if their leadership says leave and they do not leave, are they still members of ZAPU?

that the however. Unlike ZANU, which is a demo- "Patriotic Front" between Mugabe cratic centralist organisation, the and Nkomo was declared without structure of ZAPU does not allow consultation with the party.

elections, criticism or the removal "Not quite true. There was of a corrupt leadership. consultation with the guerillas but Thus, though we cannot say not with other organs. The party that

ZAPU

as a whole is an statement of Mugabe

HOTEL

imperialist tool, we realise that it Nkomo includes their demands.

has the potential to become one the idea of a united Case because there is no democracy.

front with

ZAPU

should not between Mugabe structure veers it towards seen as a unity dictatorship by one or two people and Nkomo, as the press tries to who can become the tools of make out. imperialism pull the Front" primo co on teh to he sitis principles of the "Patriotic and movement with them." of ZANU. How do you assess the present has always

ZANU

maintained position of Muzorewa, that it is prepared to enter a united especially front with anybody who supports after the large demonstration which marked his recent trip to the armed struggle. Zimbabwe? By offering join such "You Nkomo i think have to realise that, front with what ZANU is saying is that the progres- because

ZANU

is not a political sive elements in ZAPU must help there

ZANU

organisation. the liberation struggle. people stil using the front of the It must be a national effort. It is Muzorewa African National Council so that they can carry out ZANU trying to the use by the imperialists of ZAPU as a tool of work; this is a well-known fact.

You have people now coming to putting the ZAPU imperialism by welcome Bishop Muzorewa but you faction into some sort of united front for progressive ideas."

understand why. was clear demonstration against Nkomo which people misread as support

INITIATIVE

for Muzorewa. He has been opportunistic The initiative for "I'm on the side of the front, enough to then, came from ZANU?

ZANU"

and the people were thus "As far as we can follow what demonstrating their support for the happened at Dar es Salaam, Mugabe guerillas. singled out ZAPU as the one other But they were saving not "We faction at least having an army.

»; but 'We love our love the Bishop' The only meaningful united own interests" front, That is clear from their slogans therefore, would be with

ZAPÚ.

on that demonstration: "Freedom!

Nkomo himself only took up the ZANU initiative Noz (meating Zipa)reiving in! Zi negotiations!

LOT OPOI

turistic reasons after it became dear to him that he might boost his following by doing so.

Zimbabre. What is the present state of the Homes dic seated man. Pearlese absolutel armed struggle? Mugabe Smith: From US and South to African intelligence reports, it quite clear, man, that finished." That illustrates

OUI

military potential. One should say that the country is structured bv way Ink regime into black and the settler white areas is to their disadvantage.

It is quite obvious from the trial of Bishop Lamont and the treat- guerilla by that Dr. ment of the Guidotti who was arrested, as well from reports by journalists and missionaries who have been there that in the Diack areas tne guctuas are in complete control. This was confirmed by Garfield Todd he said that in the when south Smith's forces cannot travel by land; they can only use planes and helicopters. If the truth about the struggle were known you wouldn't have white man living the 111 country. They would all flee and the of course, survive regime, cannot under these conditions. So there is a tremendous camp down on the press. But we know that they have growing problems getting their sup- railway because be used during 12 ines can only hours or so of daylight. The between road Beitbridge and Fort Victoria in the south is now closed at 2 o'clock in the afternoon. journalist who and you drive at 65 mph and you don't anything stop. happens you just keep going. numbers of whites Also, large have abandoned their farms and are now arriving in the towns.

The freedom in the move more of • less freely areas they have left. The whites' economy has been literally destroyed through this struggle, because the freedom fight- ers are everywhere." What assistance has the armed from other African countries? "Countries like Tanzania have accomodated ZANU and facilitated most of its work, including in the early stages, its training.

Zambia also allowed us facilities though as you know our relations with Lambia have since been unfor.

The OAU supports our struggle and has voted a large budget to it; but some members do not pay their dues and others have been giving money individual basis to an Nkomo, Sithole and Muzorewa.

we single out Mozambique But which has really shown the spirit of international proletarianism and.

pan-Africanism to the limit, despite

PACKS

omic sabotage, from the racialists.

inere is one tutg you may not be aware of: when the border was closed and mozambiqut Frelimo Zimbabwe, the govern- ment issued a decree every That man and woman from the President to the lowest peasant must work one day a month, the money from which would be put in a fund for liberation LiliDarwe Namibia and South Africa.

Because they went through the of armed struggle, the people Mozambique know what it is to fight for one's freedom."

What about assistance from the Soviet or Chinese governments?

"We formed very close links at a very early stage with the Republic of China. They played a major part in the development or our palty and in those early stages we had to rely very much on their assistance including the training of people, though the total of the aid has not been large no more than a few hundred guns and a dozen or so trained people. SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 3rd November 1976 slavia, Romania, Bulgaria, Albania.

There are some people, including the socialist who countries, in misunderstood our beginnings.

There's often a mistaken view that we have declared war on the Soviet Soviet Union. That is not our stand.

Our stand on international proletarianism тегу clear: we believe that insofar as we are fight- ing against imperialist exploitation and to build socialism in our part of the world we are the natural allies of anybody who considers himself socialist. Smith For this reason, we think it is a duty of all socialist countries to support our struggle. It is privilege that get some assistance from them. We are suspicious of those impose condutions on us like if we socialist countries support you, you must not get aid Soviet vice versa. We people are the whe genuinely fighting for change and that the

WOODE OR TORO

of the socialist bloc will people support our struggle.' Comment by 'Socialist Press' Because our unconditional for support the armed struggle against white racist Zimbabwe, we are pleased to give opportunity of members

ZANU

express their views Socialist Press.

ZANU,

nationalist party nonetheless programme

WHOSE

contains commitment the pursuit of socialism, is the principle organised political force within the present guerila strugg e While acknowledging the principled statements of

ZANU

leaders months, In criticise the decision to

DEVILY

Front" *Patriotic with: Nkomo's ZAPU whose leaders have so frequently shown their readiness compromise with the Smith regime and imperialism, and the decision, confirmed by special Congress in Lusaka on October 22, Geneva Conference. Regardless of the position taken by the

ZANU

delegates, such participation can only facilitate the schemes of the imperialists.

We think that in this interview, the

ZANU

militants themselves provide ample reasons why both were and tase wrong,

SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 3rd November 1976

CAPITALISIM STARVES

PUBLIC SERVICES

SPOTLIGHT

As the British economy For example, the figure of state benefits actually taken up averages lurches still more unsteadily into decline, the impossibility of capitalism making social government were suddenly to pay provision adequate to the entitlements of the working class means-tested benefits, it would be needs bankrupted several times over!

becomes more starkly exposed. remained But the trade union and Labour leaders attempt still to conceal this harsh reality. Instead they peddle linked tuose first 1s healthy capitalist that, given Hicitaly economy, adequate provision of capped, for youth and for children public services could be made. The have remained at the bottom of the second is that the economy can be restored to 'health'.

HOUSEWORK

These are the reasons wav they put their backs into restoring To privatised replace the profitability as the prerequisite of drudgery of housework would like- capitalist And wise require a massive allocation of excrisis profitability" period crisis, resources which could only wake becomes which all. the altar on when need considered Blaus other social needs are sacrificed.

above profit, and the productive reality, even in its thirty of But in set free 10CC8 of years post-war 'prosperity' under a socialist plan. of capitalism dreamed Tories and right Meanne furnishing these needs - indeed for growing wingers rant on about "welfare' expenditure, 20% ot the population it can of local never even realise the elementary spending simply goes government rights it claims to uphold.

servicing debt charges, while

LO. CHARLATAN

EXPOSED

Recent revelations of rigged than others - the middle class with evidence and invented statis respect to the working class and whites to other races. tics has brought the discussion on the hereditary or environ- The Francis early geneticist mental source of intelligence Galton thought that genius wab back into the news. hereditary and advocated a policy The 'Nature or Nurture' dispute of selective breeding to preserve the been a bogey in has course intellectual stock. biology ever since it was recognised By the 1930s some followers of Galton were proposing that workers that certain qualities of the individ- ual are largely governed by heredity on the dole should be sterilised, and the logical whilst others are strongly modified conclusion from the by the physical and social environ- was adopted in fascist

LIY LECON

Germany.

SOCIALIST

PRESS *

BRITAIN

EUROPE

£1 -£1.15 6 incores.. 6 issues.. 12 insues. £2 12 tastes ‹£2.30 24 inques • £4 24 issues.. .£4.60 I would like to take out a subscription to Socialist Press. I wouk like..... issues, I enclose f.....

NAME.

ADDRESS .

Send to: Socialist Press, 31, Dartmouth Park Hill, London NW5 IHR.

OL ON

REFORMISM

huge resources are devoted to main- taining the police force - indicating the real priorities of the capitalist class. Many social services won by the working class as real material gains are administered repressively under Housing capitalism. allocation policies, rent rebates, schools, and the social security system all operated to are stratify and divide the working class and to harden the shackles of the family. The encouragement of 'partici- pation' and community organisa- tion is an attempt to replace class struggle for reforms by class collab- workers' incorporating representatives' into local govern- ment procedures and undermining class consciousness by parochial notions of 'community' the spending huge wielded by Healey is disrupting the of workings yery set-up, the creating conditions reexamine the whole approach of the workers' movement and its leadership to the operation of the social services. But of course the established leaders of the working class hold Attempts to show that some individuals are genetically superior intellectually goes back at least to last century, and for many Victorians it was axiomatic that certain groups were better endowed

RACIST

Most recently Jensen in USA and Britain Eysenck in have attempted to put racist and "respect- supremacist views on a able" footing by using IQ tests to show both that intelligence inherited, and that workers and blacks intelligent than bosses and whites respectively.

Using from IQ data dearer tests, especially those showing that identical twins (who are genetically identical) have closely related IQ even when they have been scores, brought up apart, it has been argued that heredity accounts for 80% of intelligence - leaving only accounted for environment.

UNCOMMON

Idențical twins separated at birth are very uncommon, however, and consequently are only four reports of such studies in scientific literature. of these four have been challenged, Nevertheless they argument that IQ is bone of the back from such a change. Some agree with Callaghan, Healey, Jones and Scanlon that, 'temporarily' tỏ cuts must be made in order divert resources to private industry.

CONSUMPTION

Others, including the 'Tribune' the problem is Group' claim that inadequate consumption, and that capitalism needs only full employ- ment and increased public spending through the National Enterprise Board to reflate the economy.

with the Communist Party however that there should be import controls and money controls to protect British industry against 'foreign' compet- ition.

REFORM

• In other words all these layers of the labour movement who simply seek to reform capitalism or, in the case of the Communist Party, claim they want to remove it through parliamentary means, fight the cuts within the limits the set by employers. Revolutionaries believe that only socialism can solve the problems of inherited. Now it appears, however, that two of these four reports — and the best two at that - were faked.

It is accepted that Sir widely Cyril Burt, the founder of British Educational Psychology, published false data and invented crucial facts theory that intelligence is largely inherited.

GUESSED

In a Sunday Times article on the controversy, four main charges Burt; that he are levelled against often guessed the IQ scoTes of for whom he had test people no available; that he invented the collaborators existence of two in order to give added authority his publications; that he produced statistical values identical to three decimal places from different sets of data (a statistical impossibility); and tht he simply invented other findings to fit his theory.

This revelation becomes even more astonishing when it is realised was the basis of that this 'evidence' Burt's educational theories, such as his belet that the most common cause, inborn, retardation of educational inferiority of general intelligence. This theory was the rationale for policy of segregating government the mentally subnormal so that they would not reproduce.

His theory that : intelligence was therefore innate and unlikely after life was incor- change early porated in the 1944 Education Act, establishing the theoretical basis for segregating children into Grammar, Technical and schools, according to their "innate" ability.

COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOLS

Testero, incentally, is alst against centre comprehensive education. course the revelations on Burt's work do not in themselves prove the case against his theories.

Page 9. the working class, and for this reason the struggle against the cuts must be carried through in a way which the struggle for advances This means the fight socialism. independently of the bourgeoisie, must through and in opposition to the class collaborating trade union leaders.

EXPANSION

Thus we demand not simply a halt to cuts, but also the expansion of services according to plans drawn up by elected committees of trade unionists, pensioners and tenants independently of the state bureau- cracy, call for on end. call for an end to bureau.

cratic secrecy in the social services.

for workers to elect committees to open the books of employing and monitor governing do tes investigate staffing, and made by the public service profits supply industries. In this way, independent forms of organisation established course of today's struggles in the which will eventually run the social services under socialism.

Lobby against cuts at TUC Brighton Conference though they are left as pure specu while a number of leading lation, ve quick theories psychologists have leapt the whilst Burt's tut-tutting over 'unfortunate' methods of support- ing them.

PIONEER

Perhaps forthright most TINe comment is that of Lord Alexander of of Potterhill, General Secretary the Association of Education Com mittees and a pioneer in use of IQ tests. According the Times of to Alexander has October 28th, stated: "Burt's fundamental proposi- tions are not invalid. Some of the statistical shallenge. I could not care less. I do evidence not need any statistical evidence to the validity of inheri- relocust tance." idea So much for the that 'free society' is immune from ideol- ogical influence on science!

Nevertheless, It would be wrong simply to take the revelations about Burt as a bulwark for the environ- mentalist argue argument. Indeed, the Nurture' whole versus debate arises from a sterile and mechanical conception.

PROPORTIONS

To ask what proportion of intelligence is due to genes, and what to environment is like asking what proportion of a car is steel, and what is labour. It is only when the dialectical interaction, the unity as well as the conflict between them is studied that an appreciation can be made not only of what shapes the indiv idual intellect, but also of how it may be changed and given fullest expression. The fact that science does not exist independently of society makes such a development ipos sible under capitalism By Dai Stephens

INDUSTRIAL NEWS

TRADES COUNCIL JOBS FIGHT

Page 10 All Ford factories, with the exception of Southampton, have now rejected the company's offer of a 42% wage increase on the current annual wage review. These votes show the developing mood of the working class on the wages issue once a lead is given. The problem is that the leadership have no intention of carrying the fight through.

HEIR APPARENT

Moss Evans (chief negotiator and heir apparent to the Jones' throne

JOURNALISTS' CHARTER

"left" rank and file grouping the Union National of Journalists has called on its members to launch a campaign for a return to free collective bargain- ing. It is to campaign for an end to the social contract and support for chapels which try to win pay agree- ments outside the 4½% limit.

the Charter at its annual

BUT

Sheffield on meeting Saturday a call for a wage refused to back claim of at least £15 a week with wage rises to keep with pace inflation to go forward immediately the from NUJ delegates meeting next April. The Charter also refused to for annual election campaign Leamington Trades Council is launching large scale campaign against unemploy- ment and the cuts in the next month. This follows the setting up of an sub-committee ul me yes! June, whose work led the of a demonstration and public meetings designed to political points Ente in fighting for jobs and against cut-backs in public services.

The Trades Council is forward a fighting programme for a campaign avoids the reactionary demands for Import controls inat are ine stock trade of the bureaucracy and their bangers-on in the Communist Party the important

FORD'S OFFER REJECTED

next year) is treading a delicate line between supporting the social contract to please Jones and retain- ing some credibility with the Ford membership where he hopes to get votes.

THROWN OUT

This led him to throw out the claim formulated the by shop stewards as being outside the social contract and to substitute a claim based the 4½% limit. When on predictably management offered 4½% avoided recommending ne acceptance of this and put it back to the members who rejected it.

CHARTER OPPOSES

PAY DEAL

officials, sticking instead to its present target of elections every three years. Charter supports recall of all elected officials but in fact the only NUJ full time paid official to be elected is the editor of The Journalist, the union's newspaper.

A motion to amend the aims from calling "continuous for disclosure" financial to full blooded call to the books whenever redundancies are threatened was also defeated.

Charter issue leaflets explaining opposition to social contract, including an explan- ation of how the deal was cooked up and how the promises contained within it for bess unemploymell, slogans of the campaign is the call for a programme of public works under trade union control.

This is the only alternative to the fraudulent "job creation" and "work experience" schemes put forward by the government.

The intention these projects is to stifle the frustration of school leavers by shoving a small them proportion of into dead end jobs* with slave labour rates of pay with the of a Close Drospect return to the dole queues.

Every attempt is being made by the Trades Council to get those on the dole to join the unions so that the strength of all workers can be brought into play on the side of the unemployed. The importance of this is shown dy the stuation local firm, In Pottertons, whose shop stewards Fords Halewood Works. Evans of "fringe now talks benetits'. , yet he knows that Harry Urwin, deputy to Jones, told the Labour Party conference that the

T&GWU

would press Ior fri orde nets like themen.

reject

WORKERS

Evans' talk. With prices rising as they now are, it is not a matter of looking for fringe benefits which may be allowable under the social contract, but to reject the social contract and demand a substantial pay rise linked to a cost of living increases to clause further giving match the full eifects of inflation as assessed by elected trade committees more money for social services and end to inflation have all been broken. Members will also continue a campaign begun last year of alerting NUJ members and printers to the way that new technology threatens mass unemployment within the print industry. new edition of the Charter pamphlet Technology in the Print, Why We Should Resist It - is to be produced. But unless the programme put.

forward by the Charter is developed give definite direction to the fight against redundancies and wage control the danger is that such will remain abstract propaganda. have accepted voluntary redun- dancy as the easiest way out of the fight for jobs. This comes down to selling jobs and the Trades Council has taken a principled line of opposition to this calling for stop to voluntary redundancy and the filling of all vacancies. This programme is to be pushed into the limelight the by Council starting with special meeting and social for unemployed youth, where a film and a perform- ance by the Red Ladder Theatre will be followed by discus- Group sion on how unemployment can be fought. Two big public meetings follow designed build wen are up support for the demonstration on November 27th. SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 3rd November 1976 Fred Jarvis, NUT General Secretary Officials Attack Newham Teachers At the last annual confer- They have threatened disciplin- ence of the National Union of aiv action union to supplement that being offered by Teachers a leaflet distributed the Education Authority. by the Workers Socialist Thirty five teachers have been League warned that new disci- suspended for refusing to sign slips would disassociating themselves from piinary measures be used by the Executive against official action', and the

NUT

bureaucrats, who through their teachers fighting for jobs and that the policies have made sure decent educational facilities.

only of in defence The correctness of this view is jobs will be unofficial have simply now being confirmed in Newham.

lined up with the Authority in After teachers at the Little pressing this attack home.

Ilford School had agreed not to On did they even

10 UCCASHI

the lessons of colleagues make the gesture of sending one of

TAKE

absent for more than three days, as their the school. in to protest against question to take a look at the situation. unemployment, an NUT member was presented with a letter inform- They had decided their position ing "breach of contract" and threat- in advance. ening that action would be taken.

The way in which attacks on democracy in the teachers union Support was given to the victim- have paved the way for the sabo- ised of teacher in the form tage even the most minimal struggle has never been illustrated unofficial strike action on the 4th October. Since that time attempts more clearly. The have been made win wider question of removing this IO support outside the school.

leadership as the precondition for of this attack the In the face successil struggle against aly of the union unemployment response leadership now acquires has been one of cynical betrayal.

burning importance. TRADE UNial

MEMBERS

SOLDOU

TIGHT TO

RYDER

WORK

DEFEND

PACKING JOBS

British Leyland plants. This would A meetin 1,0050 last mass result in the closure of EPS.

about Tuesday of The decision of the mass workers at the Export Packing meeting was to mobilise immediate- Services factory near Banbury ly a large squad of flying pickets Cowley voted overwhelmingly to reduy to move onto ne plant as Leyland start as soon support programme of bypassing

EPS

and diverting action in defence of their jobs.

components to Cowley. in line with the policy of the The decided to meeting start British Leyland 'participation' com- collecting order establish a to mittees, all Leyland packing work, defence fund capable of sustaining with the Allegro, is to be 24-hours-a-day, 7-days-a-week startlls withdrawn from EPS into various pickets many miles from EPS itself.

TASS LEADERS

ATTACK DEMOCRACY

The Executive Committee Amendments to motions could of TASS has accepted a report only be put at conference - neither DCs branches could submit

NOT

from its Organisation Sub- amendinents. Committee which proposes The effect of these moves on major changes in the union's democracy in the union can be seen quite clearly. decision making procedure.

For example in No. 16 Division At present each branch elects (which has 12 branches) the effect one delegate to the annual confer- of the new procedure would be to allowed to ence. iS reduce from delegates motions and can amend any 12 to 4 and the number of motions motions. which submitted from could be Under the new proposals 24 to 4! delegates would be elected on The Stalinist dominated 1/1750 basis, the by - Executive

HIC DON

clearly fears the Divisional Council not the branches continued growth of opposition to (delegates would have to be DC leadershup. There must be members), motions could only be determined campaign to throw out submitted by a DC and each DC the proposed changes at the next would be limited to four motions.

annual conference.

HOSPITALS UNDER

STRIKE STOPS BINGO HALL

SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesdey 3rd

FIRE

EGA CLOSURE

NEARS

The closure of the Elizabet!: which consultant has which beds at Garrett the Whittington. Anderson Hospital And if AHA are using the moved a step closer this week the carrot of beds to gain the support with the announcement • 11 of the consultants for the move to Parliament that all in-patients the Whittington, they are also using will be removed from the a stick on the unions. hospital by the end of

THREATENED

December. Al a media orate senates The announcement, in a reply

EGA

including by Minister for the NHS, Roland Divisional Officers from NUPE and Moyle, (a NUPE sponsored MP) to

ASTMS,

the AHA threatened that a primed question from Lena Jeger the local MP came after unions took action a series of against the proposed short visits to Moyle by NUPE officers,

CLONE

by the EGA move to the Whittington, then this consultants and by a would prejudice chance group of local people dIly With the final date now set for funding a long term home for the EGA anywhere. closure the willingness of the EGA workers to fight remains strong.

The long talked about work-in is nA. The only time esat the A thA urgent necessity

HOSPITAL COMMITTEE

have ever looked worried was on They have now formed a hospi- September 23rd after the strike in tal committee organise the all Camden hospitals in support of defence of the hospital, including, the EGA. if necessary, a work-in. The ghost of this strike The was committee represents all called up at the AHA meeting on grades of staff at the hospital, Wednesday October 27th when including consultants, both ASTMS and COHSE officials interests very temporarily coincide threatened that if a single patient with those of the workers.

or single member of staff is moved This is where the weakness of trom the EGA then their members the defence of the EGA lies. At the the receiving hospital would moment the workers feel that they strike. cannot make any decisions unless the consultants acquiesce.

SUPPORT

But the same time, 'the consultants are using the strength NUPE, ASTMS and COHSE have of feeling amongst the workers to expressed their support both for a negotiate better facilities for them- work in and for supportive strikes selves in The surrounding hospitals task is for the when the EGA finally closes officers of these unions to organist The Area Health Authority, well and declare the date of the work-in aware of the incipient split the to begin. hospital, have This is not the only

VIL LYU

URGATON

task, offered the consultants more beds It though. would both the at the Whittington Hospital in union officials, the AHA and the attempt to persuade them to mov DHSS if such an action was limited to a he test against the closure.

WAVERED

work-in supportive strikes must become the basis And on both occasions, the workers' enquiry into the NHS consultants have wavered and hesi- the with area, a workers' tatingly dangled the carrot of more estimate of the and accus beds in front of the workers.

provisions of health facilities at the course, beds the moment. 110 Whittington means nothing to the On the basis of requirements of

EGA

workers interested workers in the area, a plan must be who are basically in saving their jobs and the for the provision urawn special

EGA

facilities and not in health services.

SEVENTY WOMEN WORKERS

them 1971 rates of pav. This employed erorkers and bingo caler came but cleaners; incensed them even more and they kitchen took strike action, contacting Ine strike Coventry on October

T& GWU

who immediately made 22nd, demanding trade the strike official. recognition, better rates of pay To date, the women are winning and improved working conditions.

massive s all te their dispute, They decided join the and with the major delivery

T&GWU

three months earlier, firms (with the exception of the on by spurred their Northampton Glass Co.) and the butcal pas rates of only 56½p per hour, with city refuse collectors all refusing to of five shifts an artiage hour cross the picket line they while overtime is paid at a pittance of 12%p per hour! The women are all employed by OnE Orr Enterprises, own all the who placate the women hy offarina majot Bingo Halls and Casinos in Coventry and Leamington, and who have date refused to recognise the 1&GWU. Instead, three months ago, the management of Orr Enterprises and Club One called in the officials of the National Association of Theatre Television Kine Employees

(NATTKE)

and signed agree- - ment giving NATTKE sole negotiat- ing rights. challenged This directly the workers" right to organise the trade union of their choice.

the dispute broke out, an NATTKE attempted official from 14 days and to anotové his elerti

INDUSTRIAL VERS

The demand for the opening of the books not only of the AHA but also of the private suppliers of the NHS must be advanced.

Unless the work-in is used as a basis for such demands, then it can only be last-ditch desperate protest, and not a way forward to defend the NHS as a whole.

In London the Labour government plans to close 120 hospitals out of 150. This would mean that in "health blackspots' b like Hackney, the Health Service would come to a virtual standstill. new consultative booklet just by the issued Area Health Authority proved conclusively that the City and East London has more health needs than many parts of the country but the medical facilities. The area also lags far behind the rest of London. The rate of general and infant deaths in particular has been above the

CUNNILEY

national average. The same goes for the prevalence of handicap or long term sickness.

And although the of mentally handicapped East London is 35% higher than the

GLC

the into aullission hospital of such cases was only half the GLC rate.

17-POINT PLAN

It is in these already wretched conditions that the Area Health Authority intended to implement a cut £700,000 the Hackney district through a 17 point plan. In Socialist Press interview George Box, the

NUPE

Chairman Branch in Hackney hospital and Ron Paynter, acting Branch Secretary, the meaning of this 17 point plan was brought out.

brought the Bingo Hall to a closure.

This in turn is having lne same effect on all the other Orr Enter- prise city, cinema chain, with new deliveries of films being turned away.

Resolutions support and donations to the strike fund should be sent to: Sister Ann Coffey,

• T&GWU

Shop Steward, 42, Hamilton Road, Stoke, Coventry.

BINGO

WU

HACKNEY

AS THE SACKINGS START

They "said that the thrust of 400 redundancies in the Hackney area has begun to be implemented in Hackney hospital with the sack- ing of 12 workers over retirement age who have not been replaced.

Coupled with that there. already a reduction in the intake of student nurses. A call for a substantial reduction in Tine deterioration of services. The emer- gency service for children is to close down and there is talk of "5-day wards.

STRIKE ACTION

But this We they said, is only the beginning: will see a tremen- dous onslaught after Christmas. The membership will not accept this. We will take strike action."

They added: " t is nonsensi when the authorities try to stop the strikes by blackmailing playing on our consciences, saying that the strikes would hit the patients while at the same time is the same authority which cuts off the electricity for thousands of old age pensioners, literally killing Student Backing For Nov 17th A motion calling for a one day strike on November 17th was passed by an overwhelm- ing majority of the 300 students present at the Enfield branch of the Middlesex Poly- technic Students Union last Thursday. The motion demanded that left MPs vote against any further cuts in public spending as a result of the latest run on the pound. It further called upon these MPs to start a campaign in the labour and trade union massive The refusal of Hugh Scanlon and the leadership of the

AUEW

to take action against past High Court inter- terence in the union has led another astounding yet case. tee ot Pe Auton decided to with- : Darlington District Commit- hold credentials from shop steward who scabbed on a mass meeting decision for 24-hour token strike. Last week a High Court Judge, Mr. Justice Oliver issued an order requiring the District Committee to meet the blackleg concerned within them" "The reason we go on strike is to defend the Health Service. We fight for the unity of patients and workers we have the same interests." Ron and George said they were disappointed NUPE had called no strike action but continued, "It is about time something was about these conditions due to cuts. We expect a mass walk- out. We have been getting encourag- ing support from other unions too - like the nurses." Yet despite this feeling there has been no real lead from Alan Fisher, NUPE General Secretary. The call for a one-day national demonstration and lobby of Parlia- ment on 17th November does not even amount to a one day strike.

This demonstration is designed off steam divert militancy, channelling into a protest movement. Although November 17th demonstration is a conscious man- by Fisher and the public service union bureaucrats to damp- the workers' militancy, those workers who the call respond to will doing for opposite They Will be coming to defend the Health Service and to smash the social contract. This is why the November 17th Day of Action fully

MUST

supported, wherever possible by strike action. injection of funds into the social services, linking public spending to inflation.

RESPONSE

port or the NuE lotion on support

NUPE

lobby Parliament must be taken up by both students and staff in every college and university. There no doubt that this policy will find a huge response within student movement, carrying forward from last year the willingness of students to fight the policies of this Labour government.

HIGH COURT

APPOINTS STEWARD!

This highlights the trend towards Court interference in tne unions over recent years.

What the state could not acheive through the Industrial Relations Act it is now setting out to achieve by fra caly sin the airs of the trade unions. It is a dangerous development.

While it was possible to pressure the trade union leadership into some form of action against the Act, now the Courts are being brought in by the back door the leaders feel able to sit back and let it happen.

Militant workers should take up within the trade union movement every case of Court interference as soon as it occurs. The independence

MORE PAY CURBS

Page 12

PLANNED

BY CALLAGHAN

As the huge economic crisis of British capitalism continued to escalate during fortnight, the last it has become clear that a further package of spending cuts, coupled to prolonged wage controls are being lined up by the Labour government.

News of the crisis came thick ReDom and tast piled each day additional statistics and details of the attacks in store for the work- ing class. Chris Davieg On Monday 18th October it was revealed that the growth money supply (printing of additional paper currency), is run- ning now at 27% per annum double Healey's pro- more than jected figure of 12%, and massive- stoking up inflation, which already stands at 15%. Callaghan's response was im-

STAGNANT

mediate. That evening, speaking at Next the pee post of a new headquarters day the publication of for showed that sales figures Office Engineers they had Union he stated that a _remained stagnant for further period of three months wage restraint was now and are "essential" now running at a lower level than they were two years ago. This statement, made while the value of the wage packet took a At the same time both British and German motor manufacturers record blow as a result of the launched a concerted campaign to crisis of British capitalism, was in the Common Market to cut down general covered over by the Tory on 'cheap' whose owners were looking cars imported from • Person Eastern Europe. for drastic and

HOTE

dramatic The British Communist Party, measures to attack the working class. which has vociferously demanded But in case anyone thought the curbs on car imports from Japan wholesale onslaught on jobs and and Germany was thus put in an living standards might force acutely embarassing position.

union leaders into any kind of militant - stance, Jack Jones On Wednesday October. 20th confirmed his continued alliance the pressure for protection of the the employers in defence of European shipbuilding Brish capitalism, stating: There is no question that the against foreign' competition was stepped up with an EEC move to pound is undervalued and cut imports from Japan. message that Britain must give to In part of the publicity for this the world is that we are a united the Chief Executive desig- nation taroush. "determined to Wil nate of the new nationalised board of British Shipbuilders,

REACTIONARY

Graham Day, announced that the Whole shipbuilding industry here This line is of course complete- was close to collapse. ly reactionary. To suggest there is By Monday 25th October, any unity of interest between the figures were emerging on the scale 1½ million unemployed or the of spending cuts contained in the countless millions facing speed-up implementation present and wage cuts on the one hand, policies over the next year.

bloated bankers The Some 32% of local authority capitalists of the CBI with whom spending will need to be axed and Callaghan collaborate services already cut to the each day, is a complete deception.

bone in every area. This will mean Yet what clearly dominates an inevitable loss of jobs.

both Callaghan in his appeals for On that same day the pound "social stability', and Jones with crashed through the floor of the his talk of a 'united nation' is the foreign exchange markets, plumb- fear the OI resistance ing a new record low value.

within the working class to the

MORE INFORMATION

Please send me more information about the Workers Socialist League Name.. Address. Post to WSL, 31, Dartmouth Park Hill, London NWS JHR.

Callaghan 42% deal and the reactionary leaders who have foisted it upon them. Trepidation at the response of workers the coming months seems also to have caused both Whitehall and TUC bureaucrats to unenthusiastic about the 13,000 drop in unemploy- puny ment in the seasonally adjusted figures. They know only too well that this temporary drop is in no way an indication of the future, when the forecast nearer to two million jobless than one, at least until 1979.

LOBBY

Fears of a hostile and militant working class also lie behind the 13-6 vote decision of the Labour Party National Executive Com- mittee to support the November 17th lobby of Parliament opposition to cuts public spending. Neither the fact that the has government no intention of any attention to the fact nor the that "lefts" on the NEC have no intention of leading any serious fight against the cuts in public as demonstrated by their pitiful performance at the Labour Party last month, prevented the pound from sliding a further cents the same afternoon. October 30th, amid the news that rail fares are to rise by another staggering 122% - clearly as a prelude to further cutbacks in service, the Cabinet met to discuss a new package of spending cuts for late November (after the by- election results are counted).

Rumour had that three unlikely bedfellows were opposing faded 'lefts' Foot and the cuts - Benn, together with right-winger Anthony Crosland. Crosland's position threatens cause Callaghan embarassment, since there is no credible way in which can be branded as 'extreme' or "left wing' for opposing a package of measures which will incur the hostility of the vast majority of Labour supporters. As the crisis lurches on from day to day the complete econ- omic and political impasse of the government exposed more and more clearly. Every new statistic only con- firms the impossibility of reforms need for the struggle and the uncompromisingly to detend jobs and working class living standards, paving the way in the process for the ousting of the present Labour auding i leaders and the building leadership prepared to struggle for socialism.

the TUC and the Labour govern- little respect for the ment have niceties of the social contract. They profits bonus provided by the wage-cutting 42% deal, but on closures move with complete disregard for the bureau- cracy. This has left leaders like Jack Jones floundering, seeking a face- saving way of heading off working class resistance The Times showed this clearly, pointing out that Jones is: "Concerned because clearly he knows only too well that this sort of shattering blow to a highly sensitive area like the North West can be used by militants in his union and elsewhere to grease the skids under the social contract that he is so vigorously trying to preserve.

CONDEMNATION

Indeed the Courtaulds closures crushing condemnation of are a the social contract. They indicate that, regardless of the level of speed-up and wage-cutting agreed to by the union bureaucracy on behalf of their members, there is no escaping the axe of capitalist rationalisation. The only defence of jobs lies in a rejection of the profit and loss' line of argument put by the employers and by TUC leaders alike, and the mobilisation of the full strength of the working class itself independent struggle starting with the occupation of factories threatened with closure.

This step been dis- has altead" cussed in Skelmersdale, where an action has committee been. elected. The occupations must call on the support of other workers in the combine and put forward the demand that Courtaulds be forced open their books to elected trade union committees at plant, division and combine level.

By-election candidates this week likely to bear the fruits of its consistent anti-working class Tories await eagerly Press is calling for the largest pos- candidate against the Tories in each the Callaghan and campaign to drive the right-wing leadership out of the interests of the working class.

International Socialists candidate generalisations corruption and fighting the cuts forward for the working class.

But it is not solely a question of programme. While not opposed dates in principle it is our view that the present period is not the split vote and the return of a Tory As the fight back against the ment begins to get underway on a number of fronts, in particular wages and public spending it is vital, in our efforts to break.

the working class from reformism to constantly expose the practice government is in power For this reason we are opposed SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 3rd November 1976 FIGHT ALL SACKINGS, OCCUPY!.....Cont'd from Page 1.

This will expose to the workers movement the real financial deals manipulate fu ther position the hidden deals intentions of Courtaulds manage- ment and provide the case for the the massively rationansanon subsidised Courtaulds combine, compensating only small savers.

At the same time the insight the opening of the books would production techniques in textiles improved production in the longer term, to use to the full the pro able must be shared, at no loss of Union bureaucrats and Labour' queues. what is certainly unachievable is full employment, improved living conditions unless such a fight is class who dodge this and demoralisation of the working Labour government. new leadership which will develop endence of the working class.

This the Courtaulds closure holds for every worker.

FUND

The October Fund closed with a total of £505.52. Latest donations include: Cambridge £5; Cardiff reader, 0.50p; reader, BLMC Cowley workers, £17.50; Coventry i:20. $12.50; South London, to a good star with h2z 0 311 tO in on the first day.

£1,000 SPECIAL FUND.

to the £1,000 Special Fund since the last issue of Socialist Press.

This leaves us with only £146.00 donations for the Monthly Fund shouth be sente London NW5 1HR reacted to an article in the New supported the dictatorship, he was very careful still not to condemn From the rest of the 'left' MPs Inere 1s an eerie slence Maoists, has no connection with bourgeois parties, and which and the CPGB take a position of Socialist alongside the fight to break ties This Ghandi dictatorship is a

RIOT

and the way this reflects in their peasantry against Ghandi.

Labour government on the work-