Socialist Press no. 57

WAGES CONFERENCE AGREES

A PROGRAMME

PHASE 2

At time when even figures government show that TUC-enforced wage controls have slashed workers living standards by 3 months-an in only annual of over 12%- rate a policy to destroy the wage- Social cutting Contract crucial. But if control is to be ended Inere must be an all-out battle to support in action those sections of workers who now move into pay struggles. This was the line that rang out loud clear from the programme endorsed by the 340- strong recall Conference on Wage Control and Union Democracy in Birmingham on Sunday.

CONTRAST

wing bureaucrats the 1, Communist Party, who call "free collective bargaining aft July" while sabotaging SUrUELIC

SOCIALIST

PRESS

TO BREAK

against the current stage of wage The Conference, to which 300 delegates from were elected labour movement was boules, Campaign the for Called Democracy in the Labour Move-

INCELL.

POLICIES

It brought together policies for substantial wage rises linked to match duLollaLit uncreases inflation, for defence of against and T230121907 government for spending cuts, action to combat racialism and for a struggle against the low pay and oppression faced by women.

And linked to all these questions, the Conference showed clearly, is the question of the labour we struggle witnin movement for democratic control over officials and for the construc- tion -ot a principled leadership. taking up these questions the Birmingham Conference stood as a direct political alternative to "protest" conferences such as that on April 3rd one day ana une strikes called under the influence of the Communist Party and its "Liaison Defence of Trade Union sor Committee the

AGAINST COALITION

And in spelling out policies through which workers in struggle can assert their political indepen- dence, the conference stood in complete the scramble 0 scar to andabou bureaucrats to accept and cover up Liberal-Labour coalition deal which subordinates Labour government lo The whims of Britain's second capitalist party. An emergency amendment was passed spelling out the implica- tions of the coalition: . the Liberal Party will be consulted before policy decisions are made, a right that has always been refused to the Labour Party Conference or membership.

This increases the of the urgency removal of the Callaghan and Healey leadership. The MPs should have voted against confidence in this coalition and thus forced a general election fought alternative policies in the interests of the They should vote WOrkIg against the Social Contract, the Budget and the reactionary legislation and put an immediate in the PLP for the

COOLLLION

removal of Callaghan, Healey and Cabinet ministers the other who voted favour the In coalition and declare themselves favour of alternative socialist policies". The amendment went on to Cont'd Back Page, Col. 1.

Part of Sunday's conference.

FORTNIGHTLY PAPER OF THE

WORKERS SOCIALIST LEAGUE

No 57 * 30 March 1977 * 10p Shawn Morrisroe - GMWU delegate attacked officials

INDIA VOTES

DOWN

GANDHI

defeated dictator India's Indira Gandhi last week claimed to be the humble follower of the people's will.

Her successor, Morarji Desai, Gandhi said he came to power as the think of to say was that Indira humble servant of God. Gandhi fell because she didn't But, despite such words, it is follow the policies of the

CPI

arrogance and opportunism, not closely enough! humility, which are the real Many have also said that the guiding principles of India's "transformed" elections the political leaders. political face of India by ending The votes which have, almost 30 years of Congress rule.

uniquely, unseated ruthless dictatorship have, as a by-product,

MINISTER

installed in its place cipled combination of right wing This is less certain. was religious obscurantism and crassly striking that of the two opportunist reformism. contenders for the Prime Minister- This of course no way ship, (Morarji Desai, one who reflects support for the right wing leads the so-called Organisation policies of the Opposition-but Congress) was for years a Congress overwhelming hostility to Gandhi.

minister and before he broke with her in 1969, was Gandhi's

DRAMATIC

own deputy dramatic With The other Jagjivan Ram the election (leader of the Congress for Demo results Gandhi's dictatorship was cracy) was one of Gandhi's most defeated as decisively as possible.

Indira Gandhi lost her own important ministers all through the emergency and only defected seat by a mammoth margin of 55,000 votes-crushed by the man six weeks ago. The elections have not brought whose lawsuit against her corrupt new faces to the top; they have practices TaSE brought the old (very old) ones precipitated the emergency.

back. Her son and chosen successor Sanjay was as decisively beaten

AGREED

and has nothing left politically to inherit. After days of manoeuvring, Down with them in their Ram has now agreed to serve in a fall from headlong power they Cabinet under Desai. Ram thus the official Congress dragged adds the 28 seats of his Congress (156 Party parlia- for Democracy to the 271 (a bare ment compared with ?S0 in the majority by itself) held by the last one) and also the abject Janata (Freedom) Party of the Communist me-servers The overall political colouring Party of India (from 23 seats to 7). Continued Back Page Col 4 In Moscow all Isvestia could

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Page 2

FRANCE

'MAJORITY' NOW

MINORITY

Fifty five large municipal- ities gained by the Union of the Left led by the Commun- ist and Socialist Parties.

Fifty-five rusting nails in the coffin of the reactionary

HUNGLIT

ment of President Giscard d'Estaing and Premier Raymond Barre.

The results of France's local elections have made complete mockery of the crumbling political alliance between Giscard's Repub- licans and Jacques Chirac's Gaullists which calls itself the "governmental majority" On the first and second rounds of voting the "majority" got a clear minority of the votes. "majority" is now a minor- 1 he ity in the councils of all but a few of the important towns and (though •10C clude Paris, where Chirac is now Mayor). The Union of popular-frontist the Left got almost 52 per cent of confirming the growing the votes. unpopularity of the anti-working Giscard-Barre nolicies of the bovernment.

NO THREAT

But the reformist and Stalinist leaders of the Union of the Left have made it clear that they want to do nothing to threaten that Wait, they tell the workers who have voted tor them. unti the bar- of next year iamentary elections alter wulch we wil lord govern- mental alliance with President Gis- card until his term of office expires in 1981. What they should be doing is to through independent call dan working class action for the immed- of the calling for the resigna- Assembly, tion of the President and the con- vening of new elections This would policy, collide with their overall strategy of tying the workers to the coat-tails of the bourgeoisie. includes their alliance the "left" radicals and disaffected Gaullists (the David Steels and Enoch Powells of France).

COLLABORATION

In the local elections, however, working class voters began to show thought such class what thev collaboration. In two places, Brive and Toulon.

major Gaullist participants of the the Union of the Left (ex-minister Charbonnel and Sanguinetti) have led the electoral slates. But, against the wishes of the CP Socialist Party leaders, and the members workers' • parties the forced local leaders to put up sep- arate slates of the workers' parties excluding capitalist parties. Pressure to repeat this is now growing within the rank and file of

HOLLAND

Hard on the heels of the collapse of the right-wing Bel- government, the gian comes disintegration of the reformist led with the Chris- coalition tian Democrats in Holland. Democratic Premier den Social Lil was forced to resign when lne Christian Democrats left the coal- ition in protest over a proposal to limit compensation to the owners oi land compulsorily purchased by the gorernment. But the more basis reason for the Canstan Democrats action is the created by pressure the econ- Government crises sweep Europe

ITALY

of 'political After a week of the clarification' fate the minority Andreotti govern- ment remained as obscure as it has been during its last months of tenuous existence. Lacking a majority of votes in the Lower House (the Chamber of Andreotti's Christian Deputies) ministry Democratic remains CP Gen. Sec. Marchais the CP and Socialist Parties.

last presidential election.

But, in a few towns, however, This is why the surge of support Caen, Nancy and Rouen) for the Union of the (Orleans, LeIt is an they received between 6 and 10 per embarassment to the Stalinist and cent of the poll. reformist leaders. The results (though exaggerated puts pressure on in size by the Red Weekly of March make more energetic moves agalst 17) also have some significance the present government and it goes an expression of hostility to both to disprove their path- « long way Giscard etic excuse for their collaboration- the regime the bureaucracy. that they could not win elec- collaboration of the 1sm - tions without the link with capital-

PROPAGANDIST

ist "opposition" parties.

"Trotskyist" candidates of The We do not believe, however, that the LCR (Revolutionary Commun- of propagandistic inter- this form - French section of the ist League vention in elections is at present the "United" Secretariat of the Fourth way to advance the main task fac- Fight International) and Workers' the French working class. ing Ouvriere) got about 4 per (Lutte This task is to force the main number the wot where they stood limited in ine workers' parties to break with the bourgeoisie, and to build a revolu- deal less than the ‹a good tionary party, based within the bourgeois "environmentalists").

which can decisively working class. intervene in the organised labour

LESS SUPPORT

movement. And their 2.9 per cent of the vote in Paris was less than in the It is the sight of the recent milit- wage strikes in Holland which 2110 more than anything else have con- Christian Democrats (like the British Tories) that they make a bid to exercise power independently of the reform- are showing themselves

WILU

less and less capable of controlling the mass movement. The of the general elec- date tion, was fixed in any case for May 25, will not be brought forward. In the meantime the reformist militant action by school teachers and capitalist politicians nave to try Here, workers and to patch up some interim regime.

strike. march demanong an macs m rovemen sports The last coalition took 60 days nightcl Protest general strike in Milan cracks in coalition office only by courtesy of the ab- stentions of the Communist Party. It is, in effect, a coalition

WALA

difference being that the the only their Stalinist leaders are giving support free, rather than in return for ministerial posts. But the political 'understanding' which has kept Andreotti Christian Democ- since the rats' huge losses in the general elec- tion of June last year - has taken severe knocks. Mass demonstrations and occu- and by students unem- ployed youth over the last six weeks have been directed as muct against the CP's collaborations with the the government Christian Democrats themselves.

ATTACKS

in return for a $500 mil And, lion foreign currency loan to prop up the ailing lira, the International Monetary runu are delanamg lo doubled attacks on the living stan- dards of the working class - includ- public spending. tax in- creases totalling $ 2,000 million; and a combination of speed up with fringe benefits limits on and "freeze' the increase in sufficient to labour costs to lo per cent a veat (it is currently running around 27 per cent, as workers seek pay rises with price inflation). catch up Working hostility the demands of the IMF, and savage

OXI

A1A0E

/MINIMOS

In Greece the wages strikes that have covered Europe have brought by miners. and by leather workers peasants of Alexandropolis, on a one day general SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 30 March 1977

IN BRIEF

POLAND

The Workers Defence Commit- tee reports that 32 of those convic- ted after last June's demonstrations against Gierek's government have now been freed. But 23 more remain in jail and there have been no releases for sev- eral weeks. Persecution of members of the Workers Defence Committee seems to have declined but police harassing workers have been Radom who have made complaints against them.

USA

The alleged "pro-labour" bias of the majority Democratic Party was exposed as a fraud last week when the House of Representatives rejec- Workers' the Picketing Bill. This bill would have extended the right to picket on construction sites. Last year a sim- ilar measure was vetoed by Repub- lican President Ford. This year not even the Democratic Congress will pass it.

ZAIRE

Major fighting has broken out in (formerly the Shaba province Katanga) of Zaire. The National Liberation Front claims to have be- gun the liberation of the country from the rule of President Mobutu.

Mobutu has appealed, so far without verv much success, to the US for more military aid. Latest re- that the Liberation Front has captured four important towns and is being welcomed by the local people. those responsible for carrying them through, lies behind Italy's political crisis. For their part, the leadership of Party are divided the Communist on the next step.

COLLAPSE

weeks differences on In recent the Central Committee have been publicly aired and have been sharp enough to drive General Sec- retary Enrico Berlinguer close to "nervous collapse! majority - ike tne Socialist Party early entry into virtually the government, on any There is, however, an important "left' minority in the CP leadership which fears the outcome of a CP.

bloc taking on the working class in too direct a fashion. These differences, however, are entirely tactical. Ine tallest ald reformist leaders are united in their the "ultra-lett demon- strations which began in the univer- sities, and which saw the Stalinists chief, number one trade Luciano Larma, humiliated at the hands of students and young work-

PLOT

The bureaucrats spread the lie that all left opposition to them is a right-wing plot. The CP mayor of Bologna (a city controlled by the Stalinists since the war) commented on the dem- onstrations which followed the pol- murder of a left-wing student: ice "Fascism, the 1920's, began with an attack on Bologna's Town saise And it also wore a lest dis-

COALITION POLICIES

By 'pincer" tactics - the most vicious and slanderous attacks on the left, with protest Comonicu strikes and 'general strikes' of a few wear

TOUS

ever the energies of the down mass movement - the bureaucracy hope to impose their coalition policies on Italy. But the time there at exists a huge potential to build a political leadership which will reject both the policies and the popular VItalie frontism

SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 30 March 1977

VIETNAM

The accelerating moves towards closer economic and relations between political Vietnam Carter and the administration in the US were underlined by the recent visit "unofficial Vietnam of an to delegation headed by auto Leonard chief union Woodcock on behalf of Carter State Department. and his Behind the courteous exchanges symbolic of the and

1CLU 11

remains AmerIcan killed in the Vietnamese war stand the massive shortages and the social obstacles which shackle the Viet- namese economy. With only limited technical and Soviet bloc economic aid from the countries, and negligible support from China, the Vietnamese regime has now moved to a new "invest- purpose ment • Is lo coae

LOSE

attract large amounts of capital Japan and- from western Europe, course-the United States.

In return the companies are to

PAKISTAN

Immediately after the elec- Pakistan tions the National Alliance launched a movement "'re-elected" unseat the President. Within a short time this movement had secured a of gigantic amount support from the masses of Pakistan.

Martial law has now followed terrorism, arrests and killings.

the Despite all this still masses struggling against the PPP under the banner of PNA. The

PNA

constitutes a lour party alliance, in which the most reactionary parties like Jamiat-E- JUI (Jamiat-E-Islam) Islami form the majority, along with sec- tions of Muslim League. These parties are the strongest right-wing parties in the provinces Punjab: and Sindh, of and have always had a considerable following in sections of the rural ano urbar mmiddle class. Their manifestoes rest on the fanaticism of 'saving' Islam from "socialism' and "communism'.

DISCREDITED

• These parties (with the same exception of JUI in Baluchistan) on the were defeat- same manifestoes, ed by PPP in 1970. Their leaders have been discredited and exposed since 1947 for their opportunistic and reactionary politics.

Asghan Kahn was a new entry to the Alliance and had some oppor- tunity of attracting forces from the petty-bourgeoisie, not colo succeed because of his failure to concrete programme for give any his formed Istiqlal. still exists for him because of his "achievements ImO

STELE

CARTER'S EYES ON OIL

be given the right to export most of their profits, to benefit from a 15 guarantee against national- year case of plants isation, and in the producing for export-are allowed to be wholly owned by foreign capital. Plans are already well under way for cement factories (financed from France and Denmark respectively) Swedish pulp and a plant. And-perhaps the biggest carrot of all-negotiations have started Japanese with Norwegian and the exploitation of consortia for Vietnam's offshore oil reserves. American diplomatic moves 'raprochement' with towards understood Vietnam must background of US against the capital's desire. to take a major exploiting the and labour force of a 'reunified' vietnam. In fact the has only country been "united politically, not econ- The 17th parallel still omically. marks the division between two with a re-named

LUNCH LUNAS.

his detachment from India and dirty politics. That explains his leading posi- tion in PNA. The fact that the PNA is being the supported actively peoples of Pakistan, should be analysed carefully. This massive support does not indicate that the peoples of Pakis- tan are in agreement with its highly reactionary policies. And while, of course, religion is an important factor, it is definitely not a basic factor, as was proved by the lack of support for the PNA in the 1970 election. This time the masses hardly had any alternative. The only Left-wing was the pro-Moscow

NAP,

party which was banned by PPP. In all been these years, people have confronting a worsening dictator- ship and have seen PPP exposed from top to bottom. Now, it they get the opportun- PPe the coill g te fors, people wit In coming months, people will face terrorism, murder, arrests and victimisation, without prospect of any real success The PNA is simply too back- ward, unscientific and reactionary sustained saunch

SUI LIAIC

against the government. in view of the situation, only a movement equipped with Marxist leology anu a trameo cadre the tactics and theory develop which is needed to bring a political Pakistan. and social change in The labour movement in Pakis- tan has the task of creating such a basis. But once again Marxists in rakistan are reduceo to mere spec contribute to- LaIors. unable wards a potent leadership for the seizure or power While Marxists cannot support the fer to vort Under the barne

JINTERNATIONAL NEWSI

version of the old Saigon piastre South. unemployment capital goes hand in hand with vast taken out of culti- areas of land American refugees into the towns. And standing strainst organised attem is the sill struct economy overwhelmingly capitalist character of production in the South.

Most large enterprises, and of millions millions small businesses, still in private remain hands. To an important degree the turn of the Hanoi government to a new policy' economic reflects. the refusal of the big workers' states to give sufficient economic aid.

But the official encouragement of capitalism in lines the dangers of the 'socialism in a single country' policies by which each national Stalinist government seeks to gain for itself an inde- pendent position of "balance' with the imperialist powers. Troops face anti-Bhutto rioters of the PNA is equally impossible, and the Marxist movement is too weak to provide an alternative form ot struggle to the beople As a result they are now politic- ally isolated. This situation is that traditionally faced by the Marxist movement in Pakistan, but it can- not be justified any more.

GAPS

This inability to act indicates many gaps in the movement.

people who are willing to go to any desperate to the situation they face are again held ot leadership. back by ine lack The of the anti-Bhutto scale movement followed by the general could be anticipated from 1975 by-election in Punjab. There an ex governor of Punjab, esigned m Bhutto's alleged sch or

PPP

resigned because power politics and stood for a seat in Provincial Assembly against PPP.

He had a similar, possibly even weaker election manifesto, but drew massive support in the whole province. Here also the were rigged, and people were tear-gassed, Killed, and victimised. The labour movement was fully aware of this. But, it seems, no preparations were made to combat the situation, no programme given meaningful struggle, made to pose a left opposi- attempt tion to PPP. When the people of a country are repeatedly let down in the crit- responsibility ical situations, Thes with the conscious elements of the labour movement. It is high time that a Marxist programme is developed and estab- lished as the theoretical basis of the struggle.

AYISHA HAIDER

Page 3

SPAIN

General Santiago Carrillo, chief of Franco administrator Secretary of the Spanish Com- fascist National Movement -ha 'democrat proof munist Party, has reportedly Blyci intentions'. backed fascist Prime Minister the main eviden Presumably Suarez to stay in office after a for this is his expected decisio General Election. (under enormous pressure from th h movement) legalise to "Not only am anti- Jabs admirers the leadership of th Suarez" said Carrillo, Spanish CP. pro-Suarez" Carrillo's rocket-like trajector He added that he thought to the right has prompted Som Suarez-who made his career as the from the resistance pro-Mosco faction in his own ranks.

'militants' Two hundred circulating a letter demanding h from the Party of 'revisionism' grounds 'treason' towards Moscow and th Soviet Communist Party. These "left' critics of Carrillo (like the Soviet bureaucracy whos have no principle they represent) objections to close dealings wit 'reformed" (or unreformed) fascist -as the history of Stalinism ampl shows. Moscow is, however, anxiou Carrillo's policies consume to lest rapidly the political capital c Stalinist parties throughout Wester Europ. Carrillo

DENMARK

the and almo THE TEAMS OF negotiators lysed country the government i from the employers and unions brought down November 1976 have won war have informed the government that they are unable to agree upon the increases of 124 Crowns (£12) p week, whereas other workers in t new Collective Contracts for the same union only got between tw next two years. Crowns (20p-80p) eight second time talks This the and week more. have broken down. conflict at the Berlingsk The first time, the unions sent "he newspaper concern continues out their warning notices of strike a legal formality, The management action. This is help from the Employers Associ and before strikes can take place tion and from the Labour Cow the official Arbitrator in. steDs which has fined the union twi official Arbitrator steps in.

and the strikers once because the was unable to The Arbitrator refuse to start work with an agre work out a compromise, so it looks ment they haven't accepted.

as if an official strike is inevitable.

what has been leaked it Solidarity and financial suppo From is and the strike seems the Employers Association in. are publishing their own alternati are trving to undermine the cost of of 200,00 living indexed and paper an agreement copies to inform workers about th include these payments in the 6% "pirate-setting" b limit agreed by the government and struggle against 'advertising agencies, and othe its supporting bourgeois parties attempts to undermine the typ last August. lithographic trade The unions have also accused graphic and An international boycott has s the employers of a disregard for far stopped the Berlingske concer the lower paid. getting their magazines and pape Meanwhile the oil and petrol printed in other countries.

tanker drivers whose strike para-

WORKER-

SOCIALIST LEAGUE

The Workers Socialist League is a Trotskyist organisation fighting class to lead the to build a revolutionary leadership in the working mounting opposition to the betrayals of both 'left' and right wing Labour and trade union leaders and the Communist Party, as they attempt to enforce wage control, sackings, speed-up and public service As workers take up the struggle against these policies they are forced by the sheer weight of forces opposing them to confront with an understanding of the role of the pontica ouestions. Unv labour bureaucracy and a programme to unite the broadest sections of workers in struggle can a way forward be found.

The Workers Socialist League is the only movement that sets out to do this, fighting consistently in the working class for transitional which go beyond simply trade union militancy to raise demands. the political questions to workers and prepare the forms of organis- ation and the knowledge necessary for the struggle for socialism.

As a result we have been at the forefront of struggles against the cuts, against wage control, for unionisation, and against redundancy.

We have done more than any other tendency to fight the introduction of 'workers' participation" in industry. And we have strongly supp- Campaion for Democracy in the labour Movement. whick has set out to show the link between the reactionary policies of the Social Contract and bureaucratic dictatorship in both the unions and the Labour Party. practical struggle for the continuity of the principles and

BUT OUT

method of Trotsky's Transitional Programme is in no way a task con- fined to Britain. It requires an attention and involvement in the struggles of the working class internationally, and the fight to recon- struct the Trotskyist Fourth International.

So there has been a consistent drive within the WSL to deepen enrich the movement's understanding of the history and the and present crisis of the Fourth International as an essential part of our initiative towards its reconstruction We urge all readers who agree on the need for revolutionary lead- ership and the demands we out forware to find out more ahout the WSL and join our fight in the Labour movement.

Joseph Tosti Joseph Tosti, a member of the strike committee Linton at the Lodge hotel, Oxford, now out tom over four months, said Jack Jones nad stabbed every initiative they had taken in the back. The TGWU 5/670 branch had passed pational blacking or Trust House calling

IRDHION

Forte "an obvious step because we can only do a limited amount on the picket." The vote went through District Committees of the TGWU to the national trade group and from there to the national executive.

"Jack bones spoke against national blacking grounds that on the would be illegal." Ron Thompson, AUEW shop Sheffield, steward, argued for for the grouping calling support itself Engineering Voice, because it "a link Broad Left". "It's clear that in spite of the complete bankruptcy of the Broad Left, the mass of militants within the engineering union still support the broad left leadership" "Many of the members though they have been disgusted in the last ear will still be attracted to the Broad Left' "It would be absolutely politically futile for the editorial board to counterpose themselves as alternative leadership to the Broad Left'' He said that an abstract pro- gramme was not wanted. Engineer- Voice only proclaimed three policies; complete opposition phase two; and support for equal bay. Eddie Oldnall Eddie Oldnall, AUEW Sheffield, maid support for the conference had been defeated Divisional on the Coural by one vote and had been opposei in the Trades Council by both the Communist Party and the Workers Revolutionary Party The CP had initially opposed Friggle 3.000 Balfour Not just guestiod of a question demands but implementing them and assess- ing the changing balances of class forces. That was how Alan Thornett presented the fight wage against Conference controls at the Recall on Wage Control and Union Demo- at Birmingham on Sunday. сасу And the reality of his message in tne mam conrerence report was drummed the clear home by division that took place at the conference. On the one hand-in the main report adopted by the conference- an assessment of the changing class forces, the key role of the bureau- and the a сгасу need for programme and method to fight them. On the other, and in the main from IMG supporters, an agreement on the programme but a constant call to move to where the action is diversionary the action. -however That the IMG comrades were unhappy with the results of the conference was clear. That they had anything to offer but an endless round of visits to other conferences "initiatives" support inat they knew in advance to be hopeless was less so. Never was thei quality, feel "Never the watchword. was their after speaker Speaker from their ranks proclaimed on Engineering Voice, the Socialist Teachers Alliance, the LCDTU. All were support after workers themselves walked out. 'They've been going around saying Scanion's a brave man to stand up to these workers".

McClennan of Stewart the Socialist League Scottish said: 6T agree absolutely with Comrade Thornett about how the Com- munist Party have manoeuvred and betrayed members.' He quoted the abandonment of the jailed Shrewsbury workers as evidence that no faith must be put in any layers of the bureaucracy.

But he said the organising com- mittee had not paid enough atten- tion as to how to gain results and get to workers, such as the 8,500 who through Glasgow Dick Bradley, from Longbridge, said that ultimately it was Fraser who had sold out the strike, Scanlon for all his efforts. He told the conference proved that: "A lot of reformist ideas do exist in the working class not just in the bureaucracv. Stalinist convener Derek Robin- son in October was arguing that no should actions take niace_to Which way to fight wage control? employer when we used to get out slammed by

IMG

comrades as our kicking boots and kick until we weak or no Having what we but they were to be the areas of wanted. The whole got "main intervention". We've got to thing has changed. behalf of the preserve British Leyland and make Thoring Committe, stressed the it viable" Organising Thornett said he would fight to change that major political workers had get full support for the one day toolroom created. strike on April 19-but it could not He stressed that in that strike as in so many others the question of be represented as anything but a leadership had proved crucial.

diversion. "If take the But the toolmakers' struggle had going to question of leadership-and we are brought to the forefront the indep- endence of the working class and ourselves as the alter- posIng leadership-we are saying the essential weakness of the that we can by the intervention of separated trom programme become an increasingly base-the employers. their power "The rest of the working class important force" The point, as Thornett pointed must conclude that if 3,000 tool- out, was not to pretend that forces makers can brush aside Scanlon, a were bigger than they were, but to main pillar of the Social Contract, realise that through fighting for a hundred dockers and a few can principled intervention on brush aside the other pillar of the programme that did not make com- Social Contract, Jack Jones, then it promises we could have a major for attacks on the is open season effect on workers who came into bureauciacy." Inside the AUEW the response struggle. Those struggles could arise to the toolmakers had been immed- "There was coming up within firstly secondary issues as iate. the case of the fringe benefit few hours what could have become a general strike. It was then document at Leyland. To follow the ' "initiatives" put that we would have had to move forward with the policy of councils forward by the Communist Party of action" were struggles leading. if they was for Instead the backing down of the somewhere recipe leadership and the coalition sought disaster. The by the Labour government had day before the Recall Conference CP Executive member brought about a situation where the Liberals had more influence on Derek Robinson told had the policy than any body British Leyland combine: governical within the labour movement.

"Times have changed. It's not like was under the private been concluded "Deals have without our knowledge which ulti- mately mean complete redundancy for our workforce Rover, Solihul, had Stewards at said they would support. But a deal was done through the participation send the

COTLICE LO

WOK CNE

where. "Obviously sooner or later we've got to use the right every worker has got-to withdraw their labour and picket. Shawn Morrisroe, a GMWU shop steward from a London hotel group described how catering workers in London had come Loganel Stewart McClellan the sell-out of a strike in Basildon.

"They left them on strike with- contact with their officials.

out any struggle in the next few months.

Are at meeting these he He They of But when the toolmakers' strike House miceLHigs Commons with employers up started he didn't turn up to OI meetings except to urge specifically and down the country" a return to work on the employers' Colin Secretary of the terms. Conference Bob Barnes, a shop steward at Stewards in the NHS said that Export Packing at Banbury said all struggles on cuts had been diverted their efforts to fight to save their but been 30UI jobs were being sabotaged by union attacked an explosion had resulted.

officials ȘOCIALIST PRESS. Wednesday 30 March 1977 Anderson hospital had been achieved bv fighting for an under.

standing of the need for a struggle.

This did come from the bureaucracy. "It has set an example which other hospitals are bound to support". He said the forming of joint shop stewards committees was a major factor in being able to organ- ise interventions. Bob Barnes Trevor Holdsworth, an AUEW Bradford, deputy from said the dispute had caught imagination of the whole working class. "Every trade unionist the was glued to what they

EL Y

You came home and were doing. TV's on and there is Scarlon Tone and Lowry on the same box, both condemning this strike. That was reallv recognised and it must have revolted every trade unionist in the country. "If they had decided to stay out without question every section would be out. Posed at that point in my view was a general strike".

resolution #The main was adopted in its entirety. *In addition the conference supported amendments calling for

BLMC

interventiot combine committee conference on April 3, and full support for any workers taking action against Phase Two. *It condemned the Labour- Liberal coalition and called for a conference to Callaghan and Healey and remove the implementation of to rignt lor socialist policies. It adopted a policy of calling for an end to bans and proscriptions in the labour movement, including the Partv and an end to kule 15 in the trades councils.

*The conference condemned Scanlon and the AUEW executive for their role the in workers strike *It agreed to fight to extend the actions around the one day strikes called for April 19 and May 11, and for a campaign in labour movement bodies for a sliding scale of wages, including production bulletin to put forward the policy. *It agreed to build the lobby for the AUEW national conference on May 2-6 *The conference also supported an extension programme against racism, including no immi-

NOTCHIN

DUN LUAN

and expulsion of known. fascists. The conference agreed to support for defence of meanires the

New lease of life for SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 30 March 197?

With fifteen notable excep- tions, members of Parliament voted on March 9th to give the Prevention of Terrorism (Tem- porary Provisions) Act another given time to select their place of year of life. banishment, freedom to campaign For the Irish against exclusion, and plentiful community this vote heralds another publicity. year of fear. An Irish person once made the subject exclusion The Act has shown itself to have order taken directly into custody, denied little to do with combatting terror- ism, and far more to do with satis- access to either solicitors or tamiv and friends, and shipped to Ireland fying the anti-Irish sentiments rife within the British establishment, under a cloak of secrecy.

During nearly. three years of and throughout the country.

the Act has resulted in operation, 2,500

OUTCRY

almost arrests leading to mere eleven charges under the Act.

All the remaining so Thomas MP said in As Ron brought against people charges Wednesday's debate, there has under the PTA-defraud- detained been a huge outcry at the threaten- ing the Inland Revenue, possessing of the journalists ed deportation drugs, wasting police time and Hosenball, especially at Agee and on-apart from their irrelevance to the fact that nellnel anu know the supposed aims of the Act, could of specific ledge charges without have been brought the them. of existence the Prevention of Mr. Thomas noted that there has Terrorism Act. been no such outcry at the depor- tation of nearly 100 Irish people

DESPICABLE

under the Prevention of Terrorism What and despicable Act, also with no charges being new about the Prevention of Terrorism brought. of Agee and Hosenball have been Act IS puwels

BOOKS

TROTSKY

In Defence of Marxism £1.75 plus 20p p&p Writings on Britain (3 vols) £1.65 each plus 20p p&p On the Trade Unions 90p plus 20p p&p Transitional Programme 30p plus 10p p&p Revolution Betrayed £2.05 plus 25p p&p Permanent Revolution £1.75 plus 20p p&p The Spanish Revolution £2.50 plus 25p p&p Problems of Everyday Life £2.20 plus 25p p&p

LENIN

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MARX

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Dartmouth Park Hill All available from Folrose Books; 31 london NWS 1HR 'Terror' Act arrest and detention-it sanctions the mass harassment and intimida- tion of the Irish community in this country. It terrifies people out of express- ing, however peacefully, the slighest criticism of Britain's role in Ireland.

Those detained have included a girl, fifteen pregnant old yva- committed pacifists, and others quite beyond many far violence suspicion as concerned,

OPPOSITION

For the above reasons, a group the has been formed legislation, People Against the Pre- of Terrorism Act, declares its total opposition to the another attempt by Act as yet solve British the governell Problem" "Irish by repressive means. In Ireland-the Army bullet; in Britain-a police cell.

PAPTA

correctly insists that Irish must be free to people campaign openly for the right to

"THEY HIT ME'

CLAIMS

'POPE'S MP'

Right Labour MP wing Michael O'Halloran has com- plained to the Labour Party NEC that he was "beaten up' by demonstrators, including Islington his opponents in North Labour Party. The fracas took place when to meet 70-80 O'Halloran refused largely demonstrators,

SWP

lobbying MP's supporters, the "surgery against the anti-abortion Benyon Bill. "They have and their views, as a representative of the Catholic mine" said church, have O'Halloran, putting forward a novel view of the duties of Labour MPs Nevertheless two Labour Party the councillors-also present HO-intervened to Labour Party persuade him to meet the lobbyists, "surgery then entered the What happened next is disputed, but i is certal tuat puncies weir thrown by one side or the other as O'Halloran attempted to leave the O'Halloran, in his letter to the

NEC,

that he was punched alleges and kicked by Councillor Mark van der Weyer and by Keith Veness, the militant expelled from Labour Party by •'Halloran's sup- porters (see SP55). is clear that O'Halloran intended that his complaint should considered at the same NEC meeting as a report of an NEC sub-committee which has recom- mended reinstatement of the Veness to Party membership.

Islington North secretary, Dave Davies, has also written

NEC

claiming that other Labour Party militants were present at the Among those he names is one who was certainly elsewhere at the time This 'evidence', and that of O'Halloran, will also be considered sub-committee of Islington by North GMC. of the The political make-up GMC rules out the possiblity of an objective enquiry, and when O'Halloran's version has been rubber-stamped, it can be assumed that a further witch-hunt of the left determine their country's future the threat of constant intimidation, peace can never be achieved. It further declares its intention campaign alongside who want to see the Prevention of Terrorism Act repealed" "whatever their political outlook"

LABOUR MOVEMENT

The WSL declares its full sup- to those campaigning to end port the Prevention of. Terrorism Act, insist that the only way but we be correctly campaign can waged is through the labour move- ment-demanding that those who undertake to defend the interests of the working class fight in defence class of stand of the Irish working exposed. In this fight the link between problems facing the Irish liberation the struggle to end struggle and coalition politics within the British labour movement will come to the toretront Stechford: an alternative to Labour? Just after we go to press polling will this week take the Stechford by- place fill election-to the seat vacated by Labour's Common Market careerist Roy Jenkins.

The local Labour leadership have succeeded in dredging up a worthy the extreme right successor to winger Jenkins. This time a British Leyland manager, Terry Davis, the purporting to represent Stechford's working of interests class population.

NO CONFIDENCE

It is obvious that no confidence can be placed by workers in Davis to wage any kind of struggle for socialist policies oppose the with the Liberals, coalition ally more than workers can rely on any Labour right winger. elements is to lever them out of the only Labour Party through a mobilisa- tion of working class opposition to occurred their betrayals-as has crypto-Tory with the former Minister, Reg Prentice, in Newham North East.

HOSTILITY

But we can well understand the and class hostility to frustration candidates such as Davis "Labour" which will motivate those workers who turn out on Thursday to vote for IMG candidate Brian Heron, or for

SWP

candidate Paul Foot. Those workers will be register- PHOTO: Angela Philips, tru Page 5 ing their call for a clear alternativ Labour's coalition policies wage controls, unemploy ment, cuts and racist immigratior

ALTERNATIVE

The IMG and the SWP are both claiming to put forward But

SWI

alternative. while the simply calls for more militancy and its well-worn string of trade union and anti-racist demands, any attempt to avoids political consciousness among its supporters. the IMG, though putting And more developed forward a much programme, is unable to show how their candidacy in this election car take forward the struggle that must waged within the Labour Party and the unions to mobilise for the remoyal of the right wing.

'DOWNTURN'

Rather, their decision to inter vene in this by-election and in th Greater London Council election in May reflect the IMG's analysi that the class struggle is in a perio of "downturn" which rules out principled fight for new leader ship within the labour movemen around the demands of Trotsky' ransitional crogramme They see the propaganda worl of these election campaigns as substitute for such a fight.

We disagree with this analysis and we therefore disagree with th standing of alternative candidate to Labour at this stage of the figh workers' within the movement We call on our readers and sup porters to vote Labour in thest elections, and to take up the figh branches within union and Labour Parties for a breaking of th coalition with the Liberals, for th expulsion of the crypto-Tory righ and for wing, programme alternative pondies m oppositiolt l those of the Callaghan-Steel govern til will.

WORKERS SOCIALIST

LEAGUE

Public Meeting

SHEFFIELD

Down with the Coalition! Sunday 3 April at 7.30 pm Prince of Wales, Division St.

REVOLUTION

1848: FIRST GREAT

1789 Revolution and the period after the reaction of Thermidor (1794), as well as the international Page 6 Commune. To understand properly the French revolution of 1848, it is first necessary to cast an eye which over the forces had dominated France since the earlier revolution of July 1830. The regime brought into office by that revolution was a constitu- tional monarchy with the "bourg- eois king", Louis Philippe head. His ascension to power was part European upheaval general which lasted from 1829-34, and directed mainly wilch lad against the aristocratic, landowing classes who had ruled Europe from 1815 onwards. In 1829, for example, the Catholic Emancipation

HELL

passed in Ireland; in 1830, Belgium won independence trom Holland; from 1830-31 an unsuc- cessful uprising took place Poland; 1832, and the first Reform Act, which allowed the industrial bourgeoisie share of political power, was passed in Britain.

BOURGEOIS POWER

The 1830 revolution in France overthrew the Bourbon monarchy, was an effort by and like Britain the bourgeoisie to secure political power for itself. Yet the government which emerged in France did not repres- ent the interests of the bourgeoisie contrary, it On: the only interests of

TATESANCT

LIC

of that one bourgeoisie__ the financiers and Dankers, opposed to the industrialists.

The new regime was based on an oligarchic parliamentary system with very restricted tranchise.

FRENCH

BATTLE

The first two articles in our series on the revolutionary history of France have dealt with the wars which followed the French Revolution.

parts, deals with the class forces which worked together to bring This third articie, in two The final article will deal with the 1871 Paris about the upheavals of the 1848 revolution.

transported for trying to form an Throughout all France there were only 166,000 votes-a smaller agricultural workers union.

electorate than in 1791, during the the Northern of that phaswe revol- circulation of 60,000 and that same ution. year saw a Chartist insurrection in allowed to vote naa to Newport. possess substantial wealth, and this which for so long Jacobinism, regulation excluded on v the a spectre of the and workers, had been merely artisans, peasants past, was now taking visible bodily but the great majority of industrial- form before the bourgeoisie's very ists as well. And it was this, more than

NO REFORM

anything else, which prevented Louis Philippe from introducing the 1846, electorate had By the electoral reforms demanded by the grown to 241,000, but this increase industrial bourgeoisie. the result of electoral wasn't France on the eve of 1848 was reform; it merely meant that a few thus riven apart by this contra- more people met property diction between a rigid and inflex- As we shall see, this qualification. ible political structure on the one political rigidity was to prove hand, and a fast growing industrial 1848 the

COLDC

and proletariat bourgeoisie upheaval. clamouring for change on the other.

1830 in France thus meant the of section of the triumph

ECONOMIC CRISIS

bourgeoisie But it also marked the aristocracy. This contradiction emergence of the by the world economic crisis bated an independent, self-conso- of 1846-7. This crisis began first in class as ious political force. • with the potato blights agriculture, Needless say, the working IO of the mid-forties, which sent the class were as yet incapable of exer- price of basic foodstuffs soaring in cising their own class rule, but they the years 1846-7. were clearly beginning to act in This inflation hit hardest at rural their own self-interest. the artisans and day-labourers in 1832, there was In June an and workers in the cowns. The latter attempted republican insurrection were hit doubly in Paris; in April 1834, the Lyons since the crisis in agricultre hard workers, under the leadership of crisis industry, gave which at this stage was dominated of Man, Rights the societv of the up against Louis Philippe's rose by textile manufacturing.

rule; and in May 1839, Blanqui and Wages driven down and Barbes attempted a revolutionary imposed as the crisis sackings putsch in Paris. deepened. of Roubaix, for the town

TOLPUDDLE MARTYRS

13,000 example, 8,000 out of were jobless. the Parallel developments were

AS I

England. In 1834, country, food riots and attacks on taking place in Wesleyan labourers speculators and six merchants broke bered in working class nistory as Martyrs) The financial bourgeoisie were the Tolpuddle were Mob attacks Nasional Assembly 15th May 1848 also enmeshed in the crisis. From June 1846 to January 1847 reserves at the Bank of France fell from 201 million francs to 45 million francs.

This the State, which put already huge budgetary nad immense deficit, under pressure.

RAILWAYS

One result of this was that rail- which had been way construction, the State, and part-financed by which had been exploited to the French by rapacious nth degret speculators, virtually ceased unemployment Large scale and many small manufac- ensued, turers supplying parts to the rail- 1845 the wall. In went to there were 691 bankruptcies July the here ending 1139 Paris: or 31 st 1847, there were These few figures show how the 1846-7 crisis made itself felt every nook and cranny of French society. The effect of this was to bring together-momentarily-all those excluded from the franchise, and to and frustration direct their anger against Louis Philippe's monarchy.

Events in other European countries boosted their confidence.

'LIBERAL' POPE

1846, a liberal' Pope. Pius In elected; in 1847, IX, was the Liberals defeated the Catholics in the Belgian elections; in November Swiss of that the Liberals triumphed in in the Sonderbund (or separatist) war; and on January 12, 1848 an uprising took place in the Sicilian capital of Palermo.

Spurred by this upsurge in their European neighbours, the French bourgeoisie, industrial led by began Thiers and DalIOl for electoral reform agitation mid-1847. This campaign was known as the Banqueting Campaign public dinners to because it used rally support. it took as its central demand a slight of property qualification order to admit sections of the bourgeoisie into the electorate, Admission to 10 Francs-a these dinners cost away the more designed angerous artisans.

'NON DINERS'

Yet despite that, the banquets large 'non- attracted numbers diners", who came

CADE

denouncing the speeches govern- ment, and despite the paltriness of the political leadership, the working class rallied behind them.

On February 22, 1848 a monster with reduced banquet, attract elements petty- was to be held in Paris. bourgeoisie, the government prohib. At first itea l altogetier, but enth reenica, allowing it to be held under strict police supervision in a well-to-do Champs neighbourhood the Elysee. of the opposition section leadership wanted to call the whole SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 30 March 1977.

around affair off, but group Ledru-Rollin, decided to press ahead. As it was, the banquet was held peacefully, although relatively few sporadic disturbances occurred that evening. however, the The next day, Paris assembled masses streets in force, and called with one voice for the resignation of Louis Minister, Guizot. Philippe's Prime Terrified by this mass action, Louis Philippe tried to appease the crowds by dismissing Guizot. This gesture was a sign of weakness, and saw it as such for they tue lasses were soon calling for the overthrow of Louis Philippe himself.

TROOPS

That evening a surging collided with a detachment of Boulevard the des Capucines. The soldiers panicked opened fire, leaving forty to fifty people dead or wounded on the pavement. Enraged by the killings, the Paris flooded onto the streets masses Over 1 million paving that night. Ledru-Rollin addresses crowa were ripped and over stones up, 4,000 trees were felled to form the more than 1,500 barricades which studded the city on the morning 1.30pm February 24th By the at the Tuilleries Palace had been overthrown; Louis Phil ippe had been ejected and a repub lic proclaimed a Provisiona That same day Government, working with clas representatives such as Louis Blan was formed. The Juls monarchy had come to an end, an had begun 184& revolutions

COALITION

From the outset •the very Provisional Government wa nothing but a temporary coalitior of conflicting interests. Thr class February revolution had been made alliance of industrialists by petty-bourgeois artisans anc workers, and the political structur

of a second phase. The period from February 24th The Government the prologue to the formed only real results of the revolution: the and bourgeois, and the establishment Cals

TECH

unitelered unchallenged bourgeois rule. May 4, establishment proletarian marks the reduction of the Ministry February bourgeois revolution to Finance. and not February foundation of but as Marx marks the real the bourgeois republic. Ministry The working class were quick to respond these attempts exclude thein from political power.

of impotence, wishes".

ASSAULT

(Class Struggle On May 15, Blanqui led a mass what it assault on the National Assembly, Provisional alming to overturow it and to set Provisional Government Government the Luxem- up a new in its stead. This attack was crushed by the National Guard and Blanqui, This "to keep Barbes, Albert and Rasparl were all the people and instead of The bourgeoisie capitalised on their momentary success to launch For when it a new attack on the proletariat, an attack which culminated in the "June days", 22-24 June, 1848 working 231 from the Marx's words, these employers! evens. "mark the first great battle. . .

reforms, the labour for employers. working class ino st the for of carrying Many out its own that by over- throwing and the Louis thrown the CHice and for all. signified, anaciallon but merely the the struggle emancipation Louis Blanc would take place. between the two great classes which Constit- May the divide modern society" (Class Struggles, p.58). On one side stood the proletariat suttrage, met. "without leaders, without a com- mon plan, without supplies, and for weapons" part lackms The against them was ranged a 'united after February meant that front' of the finance aristocracy, industrial bourgeoisie, landowners, petty-bourgeoisie, lumpen-proletar-, The bourgeoisie was an resull lal ana peasantry, organised in the assembly bourgeois Mobile and National Guard.

republicans. The

MASSACRE

1,500 workers fell in the street fighting; and after securing their entatives Louis Albert victory, the bourgeoisie massacred from the Commission 3,000 another and proletariants deported 12,000 to Algerian labour camps. Any spark of revolutionary zeal shown by the bourgeoisie Fettin 20% sharply extin- $ 25 Eisted Ike Jure #ays to have disastrous consequences well. had Just sounded the of a general June European European the sounded reaction. The had begun was crushed Vienna the of by with Windischgratz Jellacic November. workers and "dictated December Louis Bona- of parte-alleged the elected Emperor Empire. 24 The period June 10 December the period of President, Bonaparte six months mark the republican Cavaignac, crushing of the insurgents, That same day, the Barrot. an opposition accomplished historical tasks. crushing proletariat and silencing the had paved the for the big bourgeoisie. the bourgeoisie: ruled Bourbons-those Legitimists, Philippe had landowners virtue of the different forms walch tacy peasant and for they elements support, of National the Assembly. deputies at the Assembly were arriving military The presence. Assembly Assembly this obvious lie. eois elements ID Assembly had performed its major work-the drafting of a constitution -it hurriedly dissolve itself. May 13, victory for and the Party of All told, they almost 500 seats to the secured the radical and democratic wallello. These organised "new (ie thes: • 'new 1793-4), elated their at

WELC

was in and demoralised by defeat. on behalf of the On June 11, behalf Ledru-Rollin, of the of Bonaparte tution, which of "against the And Rollin he and his would party "if necessary by arms" They the crowded Arts in the to throw up OH had fought against the previous June, to respond dispersing the from the through back-door. Just as the second phase of the revolution the period of the National Assembly Constituent had opened with uprising in an June, so now did the third phase- of the Legislative the period National Assembly-oper with rebellion. 1848 had - June

J EI

marked the beginning of the bour- geois republic; June 1849 prove the beginning of its end of the revolution was to culminate in the 18th Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte - the coup d'etat of December 2, 1851. The Legislative National Assem- bly existed for 2½ years, and this time is dominated by the incessant Bonaparte and the Party of Order, and within the Party of Order itself. On October 1849 Bonaparte dismissed the 31. Legitimis Orearia HEi: Ministry in its By this stag dissolve those who finance and ot a common when of 31 May Ene new dis 29% enfranchised to

TAIT

70% almost bourgeoisie' Paris, and response perity Party could nOW the interesti interests of thei class as a whole party against its own hrance. dab-hand Bonaparte, politicking tool conspiratorial advantage of parliamentary By 1851 he fel sufficiently Changarnier dismissal With his Bonaparte beer for the year-the Assem bly and the On January 18, 1851 vote of in the Ministry had dismissal oi Changarnier Two the Ministr Bonaparte resigned. no-confidence. Bonaparte thes transitiona Ministry, Barricades in the streets 1848.

single member of parliament, an consisted entirely unknown and insignificant indiv iduals. In this Bonaparte merely humi further the already debase itated Assembly. This Ministry continued to vegetate unti mid-April, by which time the extra parliamentary bourgeoisie howling for a "strong government' to pursue resolute measures whic would France from th cronomic custs. By James Short Concluded in next issue.

Page 8 The mass picket at Saltley was a major turning point of the 1972 miners' strike. Faced by a demonstration in which the miners' own flying picket was supported by mass solidar- ity of thousands of action Midlands workers, the police stopped attempts to boost the dwindling fuel supplies of the Saltley coke depot. Would the result be the same if a similar situation were to occur, say, February another 19/9 under Tory government? The response of such a govern- ment is likely to be very different.

The miners' strike of 1972 caught the capitalist state relatively unpre- pared. The police force was fragmented and had learned nothing from the Army's vast colonial experience in controlling The events following in Northern internment Ireland in 1971 had shown that the Army by itself was too crude an instrument for performing this a 'liberal function within demo- cracy'.

PREPARATIONS

Saltley, though, acted trigger for the state to begin major dealing with preparations internal dissent. went into operation for They the only time so far in the second miners' strike of 1974, with the ot the alternative govern- ment that will take over Britain in 'extreme national emergency with the secret bunkers which will house the regional seats of govern- with the ment being prepared and regional commissioners who would run being pul At the local level, in places such I orKsnITe London, riot-control equipment extensive In our first article we foc- on the ussed attention aspects of spectacular the hazards of the new gener- ation of nuclear reactors.

But this is only part of the story.

There other safety questions dic which affect every worker in the new reactor plants and olncis wid might well be at risk without know- ing it. The insidious long term effects of atomic radiation such as bone cancer, genetic camage, eren wner held within statutory limits, are far from clear.

OMINOUS

The issue centres around what is a safe does of radiation? Probably entirely no dose radiation without risk and evidence is accum- suggest that either Halle present limits are too high or that many accidents involving to radiation go unreported or both.

In this latter regard the secrecy surrounding recent leaks at Wind- scale is ominous. A preliminary analysis of causes of death of past employees at a large American nuclear plant has revealed a disproportionately high incidence of cancer. No adequate study of mortality amongst nuclear power workers has been conducted in Britain.

The report of the National Radiological Protection Board which purports to show that "the number of cancer deaths in Wind- the working

METHODS OF

REPRESSION

TIM SHALLIS is co-author of a book to be published to- morrow. In this guest article he writes of some of the dangers to

TECHNOLOGY

described

THE

the working POLITICAL CONTROL by Tim Shallis, Carol Ackroyd, Karen Margolis and Jonathan Rosenhead, (Penguin, £1.25).

Take riot control' the- greater. new euphemism for physical strike- breaking.

SOPHISTICATED

even have improved them. In 1974 mass picketing was not The Irish war has left the British the strategy the miners used. There security forces. highly sophisticated use of water cannon, CS gas, no major controntations with the police Curdler. And for'the future, as Congress- The left has therefore tended to liberal Democrat) said approvingly isational changes by the state, and "As a result of spin-offs from repressive potential, another aspect chill, temporarily blind deafen or just plain scare the wits out of anyone the police have a Today the alternatives are vastly

MILLION YEAR POLLUTION

is not significantly different government's special advisory com- scale from that expected" mittee on asbestos has just publish- ed an interim report to the erect that it is not necessary to revise the who died whilst working at Wind- existing standard! Because plutonium can be used scale (amounting to a small fraction bomb of those who ever worked there), to make an atomic some publicity has been devoted to the Tudy received a fatal dose of radiation likelihood that an increase in circulating around the untraced in retire world would pose a hazard in the form "terrorists" who could OI steal sufficient to make a dangerous exposure to radiation from short- weapon. term or incomplete studies such as

SURVEILLANCE

To combat this possibliity, OI increase in the surveillance of citi- including zens has been proposed. the introduction of identity cards but now accepted as being one of and large numbers of secret police.

completely and designed more to prevent justified unrest over the nature of capitalist devised 1n mortality of 290 men in one Roch- Far more is to be feared from use by capitalist governments the bombs of plutonium against national liber- workers' states and asbestosis if the concentration of ation movements. asbestos fibres was kept phenomenal YIeW safety hazards with nuclear

ASBESTOSIS

fuel especially by In 1968 about 3% of the Roch- reprocessing why do companies like Nuclear Fuels Ltd (BNFL) British dale workers concentrations of 3-6 the these exposure to urge with such obscene haste? facilities per cubic By centimelie. 1972 almost 10% of these workers FBR's will substantially prolong the period over which uranium had asbestosis and the number of Vall The provide an energy source. cancers asbestos fibres Causca have still to be assessed.

Yet the yield of known and esti- capitalist class can get away with it, will the include working class. But, you might say, the use of such techniques would be a crude tactical mistake on the part of the capitalist class; it would just gener- alise working class solidarity.

It indeed is likely to, but their technologies designed to the maximum of repres- produce sion with the minimum of backlash.

By 1979 seven years further into a long wave of economic crisis from the 1972 miners' strike, the British class will probably capitalist be of forced to accept escalations class conflict in the hope of inflict- ing bigger defeats on the working Even over the last three months we have seen concerted drives by the ruling class, the union leader- ship and the media to break the sea- men's strike and then tool- makers. We have had increased creeping repression in the expulsion of Agee and Hosenball, the charging of left wing journalists under the Official Secrets Act, attempts to gag the already one-sided coverage of the and TV's coverage of the press list war. All this has taken place under a Labour government contaming figures as supposedly dedicated to civil liberties as Michael Foot. And a Thatcher Tory government would be much more likely to adopt a policy of confrontation with union militants. political repercussions of The the use of riot control technologies might well be less in 1979 than in 1972. We are continually seeing it Italy, the Spain, on 1v Irom Germany and France. The dish dier, in retouch the directly through Provisional's bombing campaign have all had a big effect.

In any case it would be simple Home Office to introduce for the riot-control technologies first, say, on a black crowd like the Notting Hill one last year. This was the sort of logic used mated uranium ores would other- wise PART TWO OF OUR SCIENCE CORRESPONDENT'S LOOK AT HAZARDS OF NUCLEAR ENER yield from the present measured This abun- reserves of natural gas. dant source of energy is needed to fuel capitalist industry Reprocessing is needed to obtain the plutonium to fuel FBR's and for waste management. 4S a recut of the proposed expansion of the Windscale reprocessing plant there to 80% ot its cabacity spare after dealing with waste from the British reaction programme.

PROFIT

Hundreds of millions of pounds available are protit potentially from the re-processing of the spent nuclear fuels oT Other Courier les.

BNFL

expand want re- Britain soon processing possible because the United States, a major competitor in this field has a three year moratorium on foreign processing and they hope to corner the market. Further profits may be made from the export of FBR tech- nology. A guide to the profits that might be made is given by the fact that raised £100

BNFL

recently of million loan from a consortium British and foreign banks. interest on this loan will be paid for SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 30 March' 1971 in surrounding Heathrow by a joint Army/police steel' just ring 1974 miners' strike to mythical 'terrorist counter threat'. Of all the forms of the technol of political control, ogy selected riot control, seemingly the one of most direct relevance to militants. But it is only one of the tech- nological means that the captial- available to Ist states now have widen the range and flexibility of their repressive response.

available Other technologies include those for the surveillance of political and industrial militants and the monitoring of strikes and demonstrations-both

DIESEIL

very costly to the state in time and money-and TOTe of situations, interrogation, and prisoner control. In all cases, the new technologies are designed to appear as innocuous as possible to all, except to their immediate victims. How much easier it is to see that the genitals is than someone, torture hooding playing loud monotonous sounds into their ears, keeping them In a fixed position and depriving them of sleep-the British method In The Technology of Political all these deal with Control technologies and how they would fit into future operations by the security forces. More importantly, it attempts to show how the use of technologies is one more in a range of indirect means of repression capitalist states are increasingly being forced to use by their deteriorating economic and political situations-such as changes control of the in the law, greater media and of the education system The strength of the British work- class is far too great for the ing ruling class to dare to employ in the foreseeable future the type of direct repression used, for example, in Chile. Increased indirect repression, though, is a very real threat.

bourgeois 'ecology groups attempt fears of the hazards we have

10 USC

listed to oppose al! nuclear techn- a fool would turn his ologY, back the problem. The fight on must be taken up for controi over this new source of energy and its use. *For elected trade union com- mittees whose members are drawn from all industries to assess safety aspects of nuclear power gener- *No further work on FBR's and reprocessing other until safety precautions are accep- table to these workers' committees.

*No further work nuclear reactors until a safe and efficient means of disposal of existing and worked out potential wastes #No redundancies in the nuciear industries-worksharing on full pay for those who cannot be trans ferred work pending to research these developments. *For an increase in state spend- ing on all aspects of research into the exploitation of nuclear power elected under contro workers committees. *For full publication of details known existing hazards and immediate compensation of victims 'experiments' Past

SOCIAL CONTRACT-

AN EXERCISE

IN COERCION

Miners delegates at the TUC Special Conference Throughout Wilson's attack in case it fell and the Tories were on the working class, the 80 returned began to lose its effect claimed members of the 'left- within the working class. This was wing' Tribune Group offered demonstrated in the decision, only absolutely alternative to no one month after Phase II came into the right wing. effect of the seamen to press claim They of the Social gave craven support to the OrINOe Social Contract. Indeed the furth- Contract est they would go was to abstain in a Parliamentary vote on spending

STRIKEBREAKING ROLE

cuts, bringing a defeat for the gov- strikebreaking role of the The erment.

TUC

in its desperate efforts to But when Wilson immediately called their bluff by putting down a retain the Social Contract now came to the fore, with the General motion of confidence in his econ- Council threatening to expel omic policies ( which include cuts) the the 'lefts" simply collapsed TUC and scab on and Nus Irom the their strike if they did not comply voted with the government.

And Wilson with the 5%. when resigned as Prime Minister the 'left' In the end the samen's leaders, even ref- used to put up a candidate in the under this enormous benefits hich, "fringe accepted leadership election which - leaving the field clear dented for seriously the the compromised Social Benn and Foot to pose as oppo- Contract and posed the trade union bureaucracy with the difficult task nents' of the right wing.

"fringeventims. preventing a rash of further

UNANIMOUS VOTE

The threat to the Social Contract March 1976 saw the first major that had been posed, resulted in the most serious sterling strike against the Social Contract.

Workers at SU crisis in living memory. Again the carburettors had Labour actualiy won their the in crease from ao tommen. went to the management. The only thing IMF for yet another massive loan, the conditions for which stopping them from were yet getting it was further drastic the £6 limit. The AUEW Executive cuts in public spending-the ('lefts" and all) voted unanimously very thing Healey to instruct the men back to work, the Social Contract would an instruction at first rejected by avoid. the Coventry AUEW District Com- mittee. It was by now clear that strikes such as this and the one at Tractors and Transmissions, although small

JUMBLATT

scale, represented an increasing determination within the working class to fight wage controls and defend their living standards.

In these conditions, vast majority of trade unionists could not be trusted to support a second

GUNNED

year of wage controls so they were simply not consulted. There were only two major exceptions: the building workers.

WHENC ?HO

'UNREPRESENTATIVE'

DOWn As a matter of fact the majority of miners voted jurther wage controls, the votes of 11,000 foremen powermen alone giving the NUM bureaucracy the result they wanted, a majority for Stage II. vote was so close that it was not repeated any other union except

UCATT

where deceptive ballot was held to change à Conterence decision to overwhel- The murder on 16th March mingly reject further wage controls.

George Smith declared that he of Kamal Jumblatt leader of would not be bound by the Confer- the so-called Lebanese Pro- since the delegates were gressive Socialist Party and of 'unrepresentative'! the 'Lebanese National Move- By the time of the special one day TUC conference in June 1976 ment' marks an important ro decide on Phase II-a 44% wage turning point in the develop- increase-most union executives ment of Arab politics. had already taken a decision Jumblatt was a feudal chieftain, favour consulting their wilnoll leader of the Druze Moslems, whose all. At the end of the members at doctrines day the TUC accepted Phase II by are no less reactionary than those of mainstream 17-1 only

ASTMS

of the followers of the prophet Mohamed.

major unions voting against.

VETERAN

MATERIAL CONDITIONS

He was also a veteran of the However, the sudden reversal in Byzantine intrigues Lebanese the gradual downward minister, politician, polities; plot- inflation, together with the impact ter, maker breaker of Presid- of both the £6 limit and now the ents and political alliances 4½% produced the material Yet Jumblatt stood at a partic-

COIT-

ditions under ular strategic point in the develop- which the working class would be forced into action ment of the Arab Revolution, and over wages. in particular of the Palestinian lib- Even the argument that the eration struggie. In line with our analysis that wage controls were central to government strategy tor tackling the crisis of profits facing capital- the WSL gave its fuli support ism, to the setting up of the Campaign Healey for Democracy in the Labour Move- ment, which called a conference of 'Wage Control and Union Demo- cracy" last October. Bringing together 300 workers, the conference descussed a resol- ution detailing a programme for the crisis which would defend the living standards an

WITKAR

analysis of the role of the trade bureaucracy in suppress-

UITON

ing rights within democratic Ine unions. Further confirmation of our Arafat He was the leader of those pop- ular forces the Lebanon who moved into alliance with the Pales- tinians against the Arab reaction- aries, against all the forces prepared to accomodate with Zionism and its imperialist allies.

*EXPLOSIVE FORCE

The popular forces at whose head Jumblatt stood are by far the most explosive force in Arab polit- The thousands who spilled into ics. the streets of Cairo earlier this year, hundreds who them- dimet selves to fight against the fascists and the Syrians Lebanon recent months, these were the forces that hold in their grasp the future Arab Revolution. The Palestinian National Coun- cil, meeting at Cairo when the mur- der became known naturally de-

HONCOO TE

PLO leader Yassar Arafat said Jumblatt 'was the equivalent of several armies fighting on our side' bovermelt luusl nol de cnal analysis that the working class did not Phase and would avreUl continue to struggle on wages came December with the strike carly of 120 engineers at Rubery wwen demanding increases of £10- £20 a week. Aware of the pressure that the full time officials would place on them, the strikers excluded the union bureaucrats from their meet- ings and ignored all instructions to work from their union

ICLO IO

leaders.

COMPROMISE

When the strike ended 62 elec- tricians struck for lay off pay and Murray, Scanlon and other top officials went in person to

CHEON

Rubery Owen to get a compromise settlement. Clearly was geting neat to impossible to defeat wages struggles without the direct inter- the top bureaucrats. It is true that small numbers of workers were involved in these pay disputes, but equally true was the fact that they represented the feelings of millions of workers, held back by the forbidding prospect of taking on employers, government and union leaders. This was quickly borne out by a spontaneous demonstration of thousands of Leyland Longbridge workers against the Social Contract which resulted in motions demand- free to collective Jumblatt Again, the reference is to the forces that rallied behind the man.

At the same meeting, Naif Haw- atmeh of the Democratic Front declared that he saw 'the hand of American imperialism' behind the assassination. There can be no doubt that it bears many of the classic hallmarks of a CIA operation, attempting by a short burst of gunfire to do down an entire popular movement that has not yet been destroyed by the Syrians and their fascist allies.

SUSPICION

Raymond Edde, leader of the National Bloc party and Christian himself the target of a number of assassination attempts pointed out that there must be grave suspicion of the involvement of the Syrian army, who had a post only a few hundred yards from the spot where Jumblatt was killed. The military sectione of lum. Page 9 bargaining being put through unior branches and shop stewards com the country In the meantime the CDLM hac to recall its con decaer ference on Wage Control and Unior Democracy.

ONLY INITIATIVE

The conference emerges as the only initiative at the present time calling for support for all worker Invo ved in struggle against the Social Contract and contrasts with the LCDTU conference where the Stalinists who dominated the pro- ceedings, condemned sectiona struggles (like the toolmakers) and to take resolution TeEnSeOI supporting workers in struggle against the Social Contract.

Leyland tool The strike by makers, and the sweeping aside of the bureaucracy, has thrown into question the ability of the trade union leaders and the government to maintain the Social Contract has brought in wake a governmental crisis which has only been resolved by an un- declared coalition with the Liberals.

The question now is how much longer will it be before the working class mounts fresh attacks on the Social Contract which will sweep the Labour-Liberal coalition out of office? blatt's political party were partic- ularly successful against the invad- ing Syrian forces during last year's civil war and destroyed a number of their tanks. Since swore vengeance. Palestinian leaders about nart involvement British capitalist press who insist on understanding politics insisted that the death of Jumblatt is of limited significance The 'ceased to be a figure of impor- tance'.

GREATER DANGERS

However, the fact is that now greater dangers and opportunities are faced by the popular forces in Lebanon and throughout the Arab world. For Jumblatt embodied not only the strength of the Arab masses but also the effort to tie them to the Arab bourgeoisie. Jumblatt's *Lebanese National Movement" which included various brands of Stalinists, also encompassed 'pat- riotic Christians, Baathists, Nasser- ites and others. It had all the ele- of a classic popular front, ments armed to head off the development of mass struggle.

COVERT SUPPORT

The Stalinists • operated with their accustomed hypocrisy not only through this, but also by their covert support for the Syrians. The real challenge now both to Psts in the Lebanon and eise- the and genuine socialists where is to construct a movement to mobilise the masses indepen- dently of those forces who are tied by strings however varied to the imperialists and their Zionist allies.

When the mourning has finisher and the bursts of retaliatory gunfire silenced, it is the construction of a revolutionary leadership capable of the independent mobilisation of the masses that is now posed before the Lebanese Palestinion

INDUSTRIAL NEWS

Page 10

AUT SCABS ON

FEES

Two occupations at Essex University within a fortnight have revealed once again the high level of student oppos- Williams'

FIGHT

ition Shirley to proposed tuition fee increases.

On Monday 7 March, meeting of 800 students voted in favour of

HUCHILE

the occupation around central Lecturers and professors threw demand that the University refuse off their academic gowns to implement the increases.

pitched into students who were Within 10 minutes of the vote trying to secure the doors leading being taken, the University's central administration area was occupied.

This attack, spearheaded by a responded in heavy-handed hastien authorities pro-Vice-Chancellor and the Dean of Students, both meant to look by issuing exclusion orders to after "student welfare", had all the number of students engaged in the signs of being a pre-arranged plan but within hours these accupation, prevent the occupation from were rescinded. taking place. Negotiations between those Having masqueraded for so long occupation and the Vice-Chancellor as being sympathetic with student followed shortly, but these resulted the administration now in purely verbal "assurances" that grievances. stands in its true colours, and puts no student would Left myth the the Broad colleges on account all le that students can effect an alliance increases. with "progressive" Vice-Chancellors

PALTRY

against the increases. occupation was This second eventually secured against the AUT This paltry concession fell far short of the occupation's demands, but students decided to end it at 10 am on Monday morning in order and was rejected out of hand. by students, who pointed out that the to plan new tactics to be adopted made no provision for next term. That evening, a Union General students yet to begin Meeting endorsed student tactics Essex. Seeing that conciliation was by an occupation amend- passig ment which proposed the election failing, the University resorted to popular measure of coordinating the •i a 12 direct action for next term.

March 16, plan eviction, were hauled before There can be no students student willingness fight the Judge in Chambers to try and delay to granting of a possession order.

government's attack on education.

the Needless to say, they tailed and

NOT DETERED

7.35am on Friday 18 March, at bailiffs, ably supported by the Calls for disciplinary

MACKSUCK

Proctor and fifty police, smashed from the AUT and local newspapers down doors and drove out those in failed deter students. have occupation. But Essex on its own, or even Students refused to be cowed by other in alliance Will a such actions, however, and a lunch- colleges, cannot secure national time meeting the same dav voted rejection of the fee increases. overwhelmingly to те-оссиру only path open to students The the Vice-Chancellor's immediately is to fight within the NUS for a suite. strategy, nationally co-ordinated against including occupations,

PHYSICAL RESISTANCE

the proposals. This linked to orientation, This time however the students systematic campaign for organised working class support, will mean a met with physical resistance from members of the Association of sharp break with current

NUS

Teachers

(AUT),

University policies-but it is the oniv way professional body which has only in which the struggle against these recently been allowed to join the cuts can be won.

TUC.

20,000 students march against fee increases

ZUNTLE

TSUNIOR

KINUCIO

POLYTFUHNIC

UDENT UN

LONDON ACTION

COORDINATING ENTEE

BIGHT THE CUTS

LEETON

GAI

SPREAD

- CUPATIO

MORE DETAILS

send me more information about the Workers Please Socialist League. Name.. Address

JOBS AND WAGES

When 200 militant over Transport dockers stormed House last week Jack Jones put out the lie that the whole thing was set up by outside agitators. This is not surprising. He could friends in big not to his business and the Tory Press the real significance of this protest.

TEACHERS

JOBS STRIKE

Motions calling for strike action if the Tory-led Oxford- shire Council refuses to renew "temporary' contraets (cover- ing some 200 teachers) have been passed by two of the five

NUT

Associations the Oxfordshire Division. Witney Teachers in the and further Burford Association went and laid down a Whitsun deadline by which the Council must renew the contracts or face strike action.

Support for this hard line has from the clear obviously come evidence of the toothlessness of the the NUT proposed by Executive, which have had virtually weeks no operation. contracts have The temporary been devised by the Council as a means of achieving their planned 10% reduction of teachers in July.

Among those affected are many long-serving part-time teachers who had their permanent contracts with- drawn two years ago and replaced with annual contracts-being told it was a 'formality'.

TEMPORARY

The other group affected are new teachers taken on since last June all of whom received only temporary contracts. Other moves against the cuts Witney have brought clarification from the important NUT's "Action Committee" on the use of the "refusal to cover fo1 unfilled vacancies" sanctions.

Secondary school head teachers are already drawing un

DOCKERS DEMAND FIGHT ON

For it reflected the growing hatred of Jones, his bureaucrats and their attack on dockers' wages and jobs.

DEMAND ACTION

The dockers, some of the 30,000 wno delica Jones thal day LO slagr a one-day strike, went to Transport House to demand union action defence of Preston docks, which staffing figures and NUT members could see that the cuts were being hidden in larger sets, fewer options, shorter working and week welter of other confusion.

Dick Boland, secretary of the Action Committee has National Oxfordshire now written to teachers pledging union support to teachers refusing to any saying: worsening "Firstly, Headteachers may timetable for September to broadly retain the existing school structure range of subject options, etc., but make up the deficiency in staff by cutting down on the of periods marking and preparation staff or the time available to for pastoral or adminis- allowed this responsibilities. In will fully support event, members in refusing to take on the which extra teaching coau thereby accrue. Secondly, and as an alternative to the first point, Headteachers retain the teaching may load in terms of class contact time but may cut out the number of sets for seek may, crampic condense a entry. Clearly, the result • torm here would be a marked increase in the size of classes taught. Again we would fully support our members refusing to take on this extra directly from burden arising staffing cuts, although this may be difficult to identify and than would be the case monitor class contact time. In this With respect the figure of 35 or any other standard figure is irrelevant in so far as an increase in class size directlv from cuts in the arises SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 30 March 1977 threatened with are snul do wit. and Southampton A London motion calling for all-out national strike had received no reply from the leadership.

high- Feeling was extremely the ninth floor of Transport House stormed and

TGWU

Docks was Officer Cronin was forced to stay in the office until he agreed to get Jones to speak to the men.

When Jones eventually arrived it was clear that he intends to sell out the fight for jobs. His first attempt to calm down the dockers was a farce. He demanded an apology from those who had dressed up a bust of extreme right wing former Labour bureaucrat, Ernest Bevin in a cloth words "an cap and muffler-in his insult to Ernest Bevin". A docker addressed an apology Ernest"-and to the bust-" sorr then started to fly.

EVADED

question: Jones evaded every dockers from Preston Asked by aware that 200 whether he was miles of rail track had already been torn up in the docks, he pleaded ignorance. Likewise he claimed no know- ledge of the fact that one major has already colliany ceased using Preston. men that jobs would be defended-if it could be 'viable' concern. The matter would be discussed on the Ports Council. told Socialist docker AS One Press: "If you're only going to defend jobs if its profitable, we might as well close all the bleeding docks and s for dhe to ourjobs now".

promise that the matter will go to the Ports Council he held out few hopes: "Strike action is needed. I'm an active trade unionist and I don't even know what the Ports Council is or who sits on it"

5% REJECTED

The Preston issue is only one aspect of the militancy building up.

all-London meeting has An already voted to reject the 5% wage increase offered under Phase Il of the Social Contract. The demand of the National Shop Ports Stewards Committer (an unofficial body on which the Communist Party has strong vote) for a 20% claim under Phase Ill has been upstaged by a resol- ution from the 1/37 TGWU branch.

This has been put forward as an alternative and calls for a £100 a week basic wage (an increase 50% for some

GROUNDSWELL

This demand, which has already received the support of Division 2 forward all- and now goes Ior calls for a claim London approval, to be lodged the day Phase Il runs out, and to be settled by December 1, or a national docks strike called.

While not posing an immediate challenge to Phase Il this resolution ground- nevertheless indicates the swell of feeling against the Social Contract A £100 basic rate is unthinkable The policy. any unde cainpaign for this claim would be strengthened if it goes hand in hand a fight for support for with workers putting wages claims and the development of a leadership ready to lead a struggle against the •Social Contract. This involves, of course, a bitter fight against the coalition govern- bureaucracy ment that is determined to enforce wage

NUT ROCK BOTTOM DEA

National demo call on hotels A new call for blacking of Cryer, crossed the picket line at Trust House Forte Hotels has the Randolph Hotel to attend a conference. from workers in The His excuse? He only knew Talk of the Town, the London about the dispute just before he nightclub. left London! Workers there collected £60 for Support for the disputes has strike funds in Oxford, Birmingham from Ipswich Trades Council come and Sheffield and called for which has called for a local boycott of THF in their area, and for other stronger blacking in those regions.

They are also calling on their trades councils throughout Suffolk local 'I'tades Council to call to follow suit. national demonstration in London

PRIVATE

on the disputes and on the TGWU to extend the blacking to London.

Meanwhile a catering committee Meanwhile the 'left' MPs of the of the TUC has been meeting on Tribune group were being asked to the disputes-in private and without call for a government ban on using consulting of the any strikers. THF hotels. The • lobby forced the This action, after the first TOO GIt national officer for the trade group the strikes is now nearly 19 weeks Bert Kay, to call for the blacking old, was forced by a lobby of MPs to be put into effect in Yorkshire.

and trade union officials in Smith action has so far been taken Square NO last week by the Joint by the TGWU to get the GMWU to Shop Stewards Committee of hotel stop allowing scabbing their in workers from both the TGWU and Linton Lodge

GMWU.

the in Oxford.

RECOGNITION

Scab labour, most of it recruited strike have since Workers at the Linton Lodge been proudly displaying and Randolph Hotels in Oxford, at Meanwhile the cards. strikes and the Grosvenor House in Sheffield the pickets go on. and at the Night Out night club in Messages support and OT Birmingham are all on strike for donations to: union recognition. Margaret Radbourne The ov the letts has a 41, Bridge St. particularly hollow ring. Last week Oxford Tribune oi the group,

LETTER:TGWU

OFFICIALS

Transport and General Workers his under leadership of Union 'much takes the form of writing Transport House. letters) show 211, Broad Street, things: 1. There is no national blacking in Birmingham force. 17.3.77 2. There is not even proper regional Dispute-Trust Houses Forte Ltd.

blacking in force. That such a state of affairs is Your style of reporting makes highly embarassing

TGWU

me sick. If you expect decent, officials. to follow clear-thinking workers Brother Law as a Regional Trade confused type of constant

YULI

Group Secretary is of course well back-biting, then you stand placed 10 to implement regional chance, with any of the al least blacking action on THF and to use 11,000 members whom I personally weight ot

TGWU

to supervise in Birmingham. mobilise the labour I am sending you a copy of my throughout Midlands against up-to-date report showing what the this viciously anti-union employer.

people here-and who are led by ME, an Official of the Transport

RESTRICTED

and General Workers* Union for instead, as a close look at his nearly twenty doing. list of "actions" indicates, blacking Just because I do not seek any has been restricted to four THF publicity does not mean to say that establishments other than the I, and many other Officers like me, 'Night Out' Nightclub where the using our Organisation on dispute is now in progress.

behalf of the workers. And we know from news of the You have my full permission to toolmakers' dispute, which was sold quote this letter and the report and out in THF's Albany Hotel, in the perhaps, intersts of getting Birmingham, that at least one of your facts right, you will give my these establishments is in full oper- office a ring in the future.

without doubt fuel Yours faithfully, supplies have been cut off from the A.D. Law Corley Motorway station. Regional Trade Group Secretary.

If only half the story emerges on blacking the Birmingham area, Brother We Reply: Law maintains smewaly Brother Law does not inform us diplomatic silence about the brazen refusal of TGWU officials in Oxford which article spurred on the indig- and Sheffield to nation we note in his letter, which LIl DOSh TO ChIl blacking action or to challenge attempts his own by reterence Jones' veto on area to defend TGWU officials in national action. general.

PLAIN ANSWER

We would point out that until We offer Brother Law space in i l coverage or the lo week dispute between TGWU members in these columns to tell us plainly his Oxtord and Trust Houses Forte position on these strikes.

Does he Ltd which only later extended to a favour national blacking? Why has THF club in Birmingham had never organised fought ne not for referred to Brother Law, though we regional

THF?

biacking Where

OT T

did, in issue 55, refer critically to a does he stand on the role of local statement of his

TGWU

member officials Oxford and TGWU branch. Sheffield? And how his long view can leaders of Britain's biggest

IRATE

union allow its members Brother Law is clearly irate kicked around before socialists are at that insistence the

TGWU

allowed to • Ф| expose this state impose national blacking action to attaurs and fight for a new leader- ensure the victory of its members ship to defend them? dispute with

THF

in Oxford. Birmingham and Sheffield But his both letter and Ine attached list of "action" carried out

INDUSTRIAL NEWS

PHOTO: John Stuprock (Ranori.

Leading 'participation' advocate, CP member Derek Robinson.

AGAINST CUTS

The Surrey hospitals strike escalated early this week when

TGWU

members at a further four hospitals took strike action and set up pickets in support of four strike-bound hospitals in the Epsom area.

The strike, which has now won official recognition from the TGWU first began on Tuesday 22 March when 30 porters were sacked for alleged of Re- breach contract. organisation of the duty rota as part of the cuts in public expen- diture lies at the root of the dispute which now involves more than sixty strikers. The dispute took a bitter turn last week with massive press around the by now common theme of hospital workers "endangering the lives of patients" by their picketing. At the same time members of COHSE were lead into the shame- ful step of joining an anti-strike demonstration of management and consultants. By last weekend the idle rich of this exclusive commuter area, were joining in attempts to break the with five bourgeois girls riding horses through the picket line on Saturday. The following day scabs on horse back were out in force at the Manor Hospital. The health authorities were due High Court for an go To tne injunction against the pickets last Monday as calls went out for Jack Jones to intervene in the dispute. with local

NUPE

But branches offering to man the picket lines in the event of an injunction against £2.54-a. mere 4p over the minimum laid down by Phase 2 of the TUC's pay limits-is the "negotiated" figure NUT leaders will seek to ratify at Union the National 0f Teachers Conference

OTCI

Easter. This abysmal settlement, which would be dismissed out of hand Pulling apart NGA members at Alden Press in Oxford became the apple of their management's eye last year when they voted to take a cut in wages a their answer to threatened redun- dancies Management spoke warmly the Press about how good relations were with their workers and how they would all pull together to save company. This week the management showed gratitude. Iwo members were sacked for refusing to ser copy from an unrecognised source, the rest are out on strike.

The attempt by workers to have a as to whether so- say called "worker participation" -in British Leyland continues for a further year has been scotched by the Trade Union officials. At meeting last week from all the Leyland

WILY CCES

OFFICIAL STRIKE

PHOTO: John Sturrock (Report) named individuals, the health authority seemed to be considering

TGWU

request to refer the dispute to ACAS. As hospital workers increasingly resort to strike action in defence of living standards and jobs, becoming clear that hospital consultants and the press will unite to peddle the line that patients' lives are being put at risk. The livelihoods of the threaten- ed workers and the effects of the cuts on the services provided to are, of course totally bý these ignored 'humanitarians'. under conditions of free collective bargaining, is largely due to the fact that established annual increments are included in the global increase for all teachers. The main task of the bureau- cracy at the Conference will there- fore be to spin out to the maximum the talk on their own memoranda and in this way prevent any discus- sion on branch resolutions.

The two main memoranda are

MIDLANDS VICTORIES

WORKERS AT F.H. BIDDLES

have won their regrading dispute.

After mass meetings had contin- ually shown the determination of the strikers to out until Slay management signed regrading the stewards were able agreement. report last Monday 21 March that they had gained complete

VICTOORKERS IN THE GEARBOX

assembly section at Massey Fergus on, Coventry were out for two days last week in protest at the lack of talks over

LIVIAN

new piece- work rates. Management attempts to lay off one third of the remaining assembly workers led to a walk-our of the whole assembly workforce.

The two day token action comes days after production resumed at Massey's after VICIory of av 11-week strike against

NO VOTE ON

PARTICIPATION

plants voted

CHEC

"participation', ly only been accepted on the b of a one year trial. The decision was no since they who sit management on the joint comr tees planning speed-up and reorg isation at the expense of the wo force. It was also no surprise that t refused to consult Leyland work 'participation' would SuCe been massively rejected. Hatred 'participati increased a few days before vote when workers received a let from the Cars Council, the high body 'participation' support the management and governm threat to sack the toolmakers urging all Leyland workers to s work and maintain continur production.

STUP

THE

CUTS

HIND

SIC SANS

NUPE

STOP

THE

GUTS

CUT

ARMS

Nurses march against the cu Strikers should insist that Ja Jones pulls out all TGWU hospi workers immediately and demar supporting action from other pub sector unions unless the 30 port are reinstated. Hospital workers from Epsom area must be encouraged attend Conference next London Area Stewards in the NI (CLASH) on May 11 so that fight against the cuts can be ordinated on a London-wide and individual disputes such as ti backing of Lond given tne Iul hospital workers. those on wages and the cuts. l position of the Executive is to ke step the and "orderly return to free collecti bargaining". the cuts the burea crats offer policy no except their weakly that pu 'no-cover' sanctions have achiev some things in some places and "widening the disruption hint at It is becoming increasingly cle that the onsaucht on educatior standards, working conditions, jo and wages cannot be met in such way, and that if the impact of t cuts on education is to be resiste the union must mobilise its mer bership all-out strike actio other public sect calllig unions and the local labour mov ment in each for backin area The demand must be not simo for a reversal of the cuts policy bi for measures to protect educatio spending against inflation throug automatic increases to compensat for rising costs as assessed by trac committees with access t and plans the books of loc authorities. And to implement such a potte bureaucracy the

NUT

Just removed and a principled leadersh built within the union prepared encourage and strengthen struggles of its members-and attack them in the scandalous o the present leadership has done Little Lior case the reachers

Page 12

ALL THE KING'S HORSES AND ALL THE KING'S MEN

¡PROGRAMME TO BREAK PHASE 2 ... from Front Page.

(call of the Campaign for Democracy the shop tabour Movement to fight within the Labour Party recall

TOT

¡Labour Party conference to press home these demands. Two". The report to the Conference ana an amendment to the resolution by the organising com- mittee Scanlon and the AUEW executive butions their attacking the BLMC toolroom workers strike. officials, condemned the sell- also but of the unofficial leaders wh summed the recommended a return to work.

Unlike all the other "Pay "protest" mouth our conferences, the lessons of this strike brought out at this conference conditions abstract where every official and the Stalinist is trying to brush it under the carpet.

NO INCREASE

Above all, the Birmingham wages. Conference drove home the organising central tole or wage condol m tue boalition deal. This was also being spelled out on the same day but

CONICECILES.

a very different surroundings by Liberal economic spokesman John ardoe, who announced that he would be for very line press which ough on warco. means "Now't in terms of a pay increase" after this July.

along conditions the Under these ight to break the coalition means Over 200 people crowded into the meeting of the Islington 18 Defence Com- mittee on March 15 and gave enthusiastic support to a call into police for a local demonstration on the Saturday 23 April. The The march will start at the spoke macist Highbury Magistrates Court the four local police and pass by stations in which the youths were brutalised into making 'confession faces statements'. inside Another demonstration will be eld outside the, Old - Bailey on ment.

SOCIALIST

PRESS

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NAME.

ADDRESS .

BENN

IME

LOW

Energy much-vaunted Tony Benn was one of only Callaghan's against pact with week. But anyone as a first step in a fight against the policy must strengthening every action against illusioned. the Social Contract. As one BLMC Indeed Benn has steward from Cowley told "cabinet the Conference: Callaghan "We must be willing ourselves not only remaining at his post to to lead struggles to break Stage Labour policies

OBSTACLES

put his name to a petition by left And in discussing the obstacles wing Labour NEC members to call confronting such struggles, contri- a special returned time and again coalition deal. the role of the trade union Benn whose line was aptly position. London Hotels

GMWU

dues and shut your Rut the taint brands not only those who vote The fight for democracy in the for it, labour movement is not for some in it. but to enable • principle membership to remove the credibly pose existing right wing leadership and within the Cabinet must now be replace it with leaders prepared to numbered. jobs and struggle in defence of In collaborators In driving home this point, in with working into interventions must clearly include Benn.

number of this summer's union And must the spirited and 11 the ten lefts' discussion that took place on the petition for programme in the course of the immediately take Conference, many more political campaign in the Labour Party and lessons were learned in Birming- throughout the trade union move- Sunday than ment for the removal and expul- Call drawn from any number of Stalin- sion of the dominated protest of adoption the lines of those be socialist policies. stagea over the next two montas.

200 meet to back jailed youths Many April 25 when the trial begins.

other The meeting also launched a pets, together with councilors, together with councillors, them to support a public investigation brutality and to have of "conspiracy' local CID withdrawn in the pick to up mother of one of the 18 of the of her home and of police invading her was constantly her tears concerning her son, dangers

WHO,

at 18 has been refused bail, who the possibility of years ment as a whole. and stammers But proposals severely as a result of his treat- *

CURS

.£1.15 «22.30 ..$4.60 .£1.50 .£3.00 called for .£6.00 demand ot the investigation workers' enquiry. Call support and

LIES

Secretary and 'left' winger four cabinet ministers to vote coalition the Liberals last who saw this vote already be dis- Gandhi's prisoners taken his INDIA... Continued from Front Page.

responsibility" so seriously that he is of the new coalition reactionary. Desai himself is pro-American.

joint Liberal- the He split with Gandhi as a protest coming the against nationalisation Dui las tven rerusea to banks. That typical consistently reactionary position.

meeting to discuss the The largest group among the Janata MPs, on whom he relies for not the only NEC support, belong to the Jana Sang reluctant to reveal his party. The Jana Sang 1s revivalist with party. of coalition fascist history, though it has tried

TO TATOW

but also those who serve image and cultivate "respectable" face. The days in which Benn can The Janata coalition also incor- as a left' winger the reformist porates Party led by George who was released from jail only call for removing the last week. who now Fernandez is a former trade the Liberals we demand that who did sign that

NEC

meeting national up a coalitionists, and the programme of Twelve people face death in Libya sentences illegal political belonging to parties, according to a report from Amnesty International in London last week. The twelve were among 40 prisoners tried in bers ear marxist and accused of being mem- bers of speakers Baye ist" organisations and accounts of the constant harass- Islamic Liberation Party.

ment of black youths, and of the The "Peoples' Court" specially vicious charges and fines imposed particularly by means set un in January and 'sus' charges passed sentences of up to 15 years both of which the police can use Libyan "left-wing" on them. literally whom' they tator Gaddaffi has now overruled The political nature of the trial his own courts and increased 12 of the jail sentences to death stressed penalties. and ne posed not only for black All the accused have been held youth, but for the workers' move™ since April 1973 when in prison faddatti launched his revolution" Acquitted by for action mainly failed to go beyond SWP- ordinary courts, they type proposals for demonstrations released m December immediately rearrested It was a WSL speaker who, in Gaddaffi's police. such actions, called for a fight against the so-called despite their claim to being 'anti-racialist' have taken no stand pressure on space in collude with right wing racism, as In places like Islington this has led to a desperate deterioration of month. WSL speaker drew atten- fight against class collaboration in able to respond to the were meeting with the police on rising crime (allegedly by blacks) in the in the class struggle. carrying out the this month £408.70 campaign for into the whole case and for a fight for all labour movement organisations in the area to take part in such an All donations should be sent to: both broaden help the expose SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 30 March 1977 - the vote for Janata was a vote against dictatorship.

is deeply union leader, given in the past to leftist rhetoric, and a leader of strike, brutally the ralway crushed in 1974. of Both Congress and the Janata Party during the election accused OI nIS being right wing. each orner OI Both of them were right! Nonetheless, it will be hard in the immediate future for the new avoid fulfilling at government to Hindu of its some promises semi- restore democratic rights.

recently problem come, i ne wIl off however, as the working masses of this India begin to make use of these more rights to fight for a better way of life. It is then inevitable that they Socialist unresolvable Fernandez will come into conflict with their new right-wing That conflict will come soon.

LIBYA: Where does Healy stand? Since 1970 all parties except Gaddaffi's "Arab Socialist Union" for have been banned. In 1975, in reponse to growing opposition, membership of illegal political organisations punishable by death. In January 1976 about a dozen killed by police camera earlier demonstrations at during against Benghazi University "Trotsky- government-rigged elections.

of the students Hundreds were OI reported injured and arrested in similar clashes at Tripoli in April of this year At about the same time three Army were reported to

OHICES

have died under torture in prison.

Trotskyist England Workers Revolutionary Party led by G. Healy, has carried repeated uncritical articles in its daily news- Newsline glorifying the paper Gaddaffi regime. "popular We now challenge the WRP to the state clearly their position on were the attacks these barbarc 1974, but movement by this anti- by communist dictatorship.

MONTHLY FUND

With the recent upturn in militancy within the working class the our paper has been so great that we have had to omit any mention of the fund for several editions.

With the toolmakers' strike and the signing of the "coalition' deal between Callaghan and Steel, we felt it necessary to produce a Special Edition last week and so this is our third edition in as many weeks.

We must therefore make a very special appeal to our readers and suporters to help us raise the largest possible amount for our fund this The costs of producing and distributing a newspaper have risen considerably in the first few months of this year. Yet we feel that our decision to commit ourselves to the additional expense of a Special Edition was completely justified. The lessons of the toolmakers' strike needed to be brought out in some detail and with our Special Edition Labour-Liberal pact, by presenting within 48 hours our analysis and programme for this new development Now the bills have to be paid. We urge all comrades, readers and suporters to send in as much as they can afford. We have so far received including Newcastle reader £1; Derbyshire reader £2; South London reader £20; Coventry £30: Islington £34.50; East London £30; Birmingham £16; Sheffield £10; Hull £19; Oxford £37; Bookshops Oxford £17; Cowley workers £21; South London £56.60; Liverpool £9.70; Leeds £10; Winstord £3; Portsmouth £8.

Socialist Press Monthly Fund 31 Dartmouth Park Hill,