Socialist Press no. 61

ELECT WORKERS' COMMITTEES

HOTEL

STRIKE

SOLD

OUT

The 23 week strike over trade union recognition at Randolph Hotel the in The Oxford is over. picket- ing, maintained continuously during that period, is over. strikers 17 The are now having to look for other jobs.

This is the result of one of the most treacherous sel outs ov the Transport and leaders of Ente General Workers Union in recent years. Beginning last December, the Randolph strike became the first of a wave of strikes against the Trust Houses Forte chain of hotels. Soon afterwards, strikes broke out Birmingham, Sheffield and London. These strikes became part of a major move toward unionisation of low paid workers, such as London and in West TrUn WICKS the Club One Bingo Hall Coventry. In line with national policy of the TGWU to organise in hotels, TGWU members at the Randolph were called out on strike by the local District Organiser of the District

TGWU

by the local Organiser of the

TGWU

defiance of a chambermaid victim- ised for trade union activity.

OFFICIAL

The strike was made official the strikers alter two davs and received £6 week in hardship money from the TGWU Region 5 This only committee. was support they were to receive from the first the union three In months. From early on the strikers were demanding a national blacking of THF establishments by the TGWU driver whose lorry members deliver to their hotels all over the country Initiated from the Oxford District Committee of the TGWU supported by 23 0 the statons organisea by trades council, this demand was adopted as policy by the TGWU national trade group committee covering hotels after a lobby of committee by the strikers.

Then quoting the High Court decision against the UPW on the blacking of South African mail, Jack Jones stepped in to overrule committee's and the blacking "illegal". declare He later changed this to say that other members would not support. The reality was that workers in

THF

canteens were volunteering strike support and TGWU officials were fighting them at to keep work. The picket was maintained for months with the nearly SiX support of local trade unionists and students mainly organised Oxford through the Student Trade Union Liaison Committee.

Cont'd Back Page, 3.

SOCIALIST

PRESS *

END

The claim by the Daily "slush Mail that a massive fund" is being operated by British Leyland management has rocked the company and the government to the foun- dations. Quoting from Leyland internal reports, the Mail Cocumens ale claims that £11,372,700 was paid out in brides auring 191o-o and that £25 million is earmarked for bribes in the current year.

Much of the money, they claim, paid through Swiss Was bank accounts connected to a "money lake".

SUITCASES

Still more was collected notes from BL officials by the recipients in suitcases. Capitalism has always drawn a thin ine between what is "egal "illegal" or things as bribery, corruption and extortion The Mail tackles this by detail- ing standard Leyland methods of evading tax and currency laws in through

COULLICE

"offshore" and "over accounts Workers at Leyland's assembly plant at Cowley

BRITISH

LEYLAND

BUSINESS

SECRETS.

the top" payments. The letter implicating Ryder and Varley was a forgery. But that does not discredit the rest of the case - most of which is not denied by Leyland. They say only that they broke no British laws'. The police seem to hold the same view. Their first action was not to inquire into the charges, but to arrest the Leyland executive who forged the letter. The Mail of course has raised the matter in order to press for- ward the Tory attack on the Lib- Lab coalition government, and the present structure of Leyland, which it presents as a "national- ised' industry. the But the majority of capitalist press follows the same line as the Daily Telegraph which has argued in favour of the slush money being used. The standard argument used is that. "everybody is doing it" €130,000 In this they are obviously right.

Sir Eric Miller, stance. sacked from the board of the Peachey Property Corporation

FORTNIGHTLY PAPER OF THE

WORKERS SOCIALIST LEAGUE

No 61 * 25 May 1977 * 10p th "The actual relationship existing between exploiters and the democratic "controllers" is bes characterized by the fact that the gentlemen "reform ers" short in pious trepidation before th stop threshold of the trusts and their business "secrets" Here the principle of "noninterference" with busi ness secrets dominates. The accounts kept betweer the individual capitalist and society remain the secre of the capitalist: they are not the concern of society The motivation offered for the principle of busines "secrets" is ostensibly, as in the epoch of libera that of free "competition." In reality capitalism, the trusts keep no secrets from one another. Th business secrets of the present epoch are part of persistent plot of monopoly capitalism against th interests of society. Projects for limiting the auto Cracy of "economic royalists" will continue to b pathetic farces as long as private owners of the socia means of production can hide from producers an consumers the machinations of exploitation, robbery The abolition of "business secrets" is th and fraud. first step toward actual control of industry.

Workers no less than capitalists have the right t know the "secrets" of the factory, of the trust, o of industry, of the nationa the whole branch economy as a whole. First and foremost, banks heavy industry, and centralised transport should b placed under an observation glass."

Leon Trotsky, The Transitional Programme, th founding programme of the Fourth International after the inexplicable disappear- years analysed in the Ryder rej ance of £282,000 admitted that was only £10½ million all told €130,000 of this was given to one One Leyland. spokesma a property man to ease through remarkea at une ume une soc deal in Europe. heed scandal broke that mush- Such revelations detailed financial procedure are The rooming internationally. outlined the Lockheed scandal in America has "would ensur been tolowed bv others such as payments could Phillips and Du Pont. In Britain made" last year there was the BP political This clearly suggests that payments scandal. somebody they were made. The Bank of England clearance authority must know. for the export of cash for the The whor only people Leyland deals shows how much these transactions are a revelatic they are accepted as the normal the class-who ge working state of affairs. onerea no brides, no suitcases cash; who instead are rewarde

KNOWN

by speed-up and wage cut And it is extremely hard to enforced by these same Leylan Ryder or Varley executives, jointl see now managers and of those running the NEB would with union officials. not have known about the expen- This brief insight by worker diture of more than f11m a year into the workings of capitalisn -especially when the Cont'd Back Page, Col 1. Leyland profit

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

AFRICA BID TO RESCUE SMITH

Page 2 The imperialist powers have launched a new offensive to rescue the white racist regimes of Southern Africa from their approaching doom. British Foreign Secretary David British- Owen has unvena nw American plan to stop the Zimbab- liberation movement

ITCTO

taking power and to lan cajole Smith compromise power- Into a with Bishop sharing agreement Muzorewa's African National Council. At the same time, a delegation the US. Britain, reprocnllg France, Canada and West Germany visited Namibia. Their task was to try to persuade South some n Pmoatic Premier Vorster to make some conces- sions in his constitutional plans fot South Africa's occupied neighbour.

At the constitution, present agreed in negotiations at which the blacks were "renresented' bv then traditional chiefs and from which West People's the South Africa Organisation

(SWAPO)

was excluded, allows the territory's 100,000 white settlers a more or Since the May Day shoot- ings the right wing parties have exploited expors to diseredit the eti violence the parties-even including bourgeois Republican Peoples Party led by Mr. Ecevit. Meanwhile the Stalinist-domin- ated left wing trade union conted-

DISK

they has declared eraton even going to mobilise a *tc lOL against the protest demonstration billings, though Maoist even group has now published a picture firing of plain clothes policemen from rooftops into the crowd.

The Ministry has Interior accepted that these men are police- But they claimed that the 'to police were there arrest a suspected anarchist"! By ignoring this class evidence that the violence was police- and by centring their provoked, Maoists, on the

VSRCN

biaming them for the killings, the playing game Ene exactly the way the ruling National Froni coaltion would like.

Itere is a need tor an immediate inquiry into the May Day FOrtEIS killings put an end to rumous

FRANCE

As we go to press it seems certain that one day national strike, called by all the main unions against the government's economic for May 24, will be policies France's largest strike since 1968. Following hard on the heels of it national stoppage, reflects the growing impatience of the French working class with the policies of the Giscard-Barre regime and the increasing difficulty which the Stalinist and reformist leaders are having in holding back their angry rank and file. The militancy of the working class has been reflected in several particularly in the recent strikes crisis-torn steel industry.

Dunkirk, dockers recently returned to work having success- Vorster fully. prevented the steel firm attacking less complete political veto in the imperialist efforts to future. "rescue racist South Africa", to The whites last week overwhel- give a very watered-down version.

mingly voted 'yes' in a referendum He converted SWAPO's long on this constitution, which may held unconditional demand for never be implemented if Vorster is "South Namibia A fican out ot

LOOOS

forced to compromise. for South Austria with Africa to "commit itselt to their ns cetHe US Vice President Mondale, future withdrawal. There was also a significant gain however, Vorster was completelv rejecting the and the racists uncompromising, for the imperialists cynical offers of the Carter admin- when the "Marxist" President of istration for complete suport in Mozambique, Samora Machel, gave exchange guarded support for the imperialist Conees ons On question of black "human rights" Namibia which' would mUteb

UII

in South Africa. contribute to the acceleration In the face of this intransigence the resolution of the conflict.

the main hope the imperialists now Machel said that Britain's initiative "can constitute a positive have for holding back the liberation Africa is to factor in the liquidation of the struggle in Southern force its leadership into a compro- colonial racist system ... so long as mise. Luese muaRver Havt as a sincere That is the main purpose of the objective the complete indepen- US dence of Zimbabwe. presence of telle Young, at United Nations, Andrew ÚN If that had been the sincere last week's conference on Namibia and Zimbabwe held in the objective of British Labour govern- Mozambique capital, Maputo ments since 1Oré then zimhahwe SWAPO leader Sam Nujoma had would have got rid of racist rule obviously done some behind the years ago. of with the US since he Machel can only be guilty scenes deal speech opportunism by this abandoned his original

CORSGOC

TURKE Y RENOMORKEAS ENOURY

INTO KILLINGS

Since May Day fascist attacks have continued-killing at least ten, Every with womced political party is discussing now how to protect the polling stations.

DISK

announced will has mobilise workers for this purpose; but the fascists have also stated that "guard the polling Tney stations" Of course the question confron- ting DISK and all workers' organ- isations is not defence of the poll- booths, continuing ing but defence of all workers against attack.

WSL

As group of supporters shouted on the May Day Police fire on the crowd in Istanbul rally, there must be an immediate build defence even been getting their wages workets

LUTNE.

squads drawn from all tendencies The Bank of Turkey retains gok $600 million-as reserves of only witln tne workes moveneu lo combat fascist terror. against a trade deficit now totalling evidence is $2 There insufficient Meanwhile more olhol. of to $1 the scale the reserves even cover the emerging economic crisis which now billion required for immediate imports-and the IMF is forcing onto the refusing „ the offensive in turkey. any credit unless there is a 70% and banks in devaluation of the Turkish lira!

Japanese banks. several European countries are now In such dire straits there are refusing to obviously solutions cash cheques drawn on thck of assets. Turkica sm basis problems facing Turkish workers Turkish assets. embassy other than the all-out struggle

BIGGEST STRIKE

SINCE 1968

Usinor from transferring their jobs to lower paid workers. They were supported by a whole series of national supporting strikes in the ports. And Ansinor to make 1,000 moresas Thionville proposal redundant was met with a deter- mined response by the workers including plan for an all-out occupation of the factory.

The parties of the Union of the Left front alliance are popular reacting to these developments by and dema- mouthing more more gogic words about "common programme" on which they intend to fight next year's parliamentary elections. The programme is designed to offer only words in place of the fight for a united, necessary indefinite general strike to bring down the Giscard-Barre government and force a government of now, workers' parties into office.

gesture which, if carried on, spells betrayal of the black liberation

SLTLSDC

There are signs that the war in Zimbabwe has intensified in the last few weeks. Smith has launched a series of pre-emptive raids into Zambia and Botswana which are both areas of Zimbabwean guerrilla camps.

President Kaunda even went so far as to declare war on lan Smith but was fitmly warned against taking any action by Britain's David Owen.

FIGHTINGR

None of these diplomatic efforts to soften the blow to racist rule, stopped however, have yet the Zimbabwean guerrillas from fighting. And there is also news in the last of new outburts of resis- month tance from the workers and students of soweto outside Johan- nesburg against massive rent increases imposed as a punishment for damage done last year's 1n uprising. workers' control over the economy.

For elections reason me must he used. as a platiorm

IO T

working class policies. independent 25 candidates of the Socialist Party Revolutionary (which banned from participation in the elections) are standing as indepen- dent candidates. These must join in a united front with Turkish Labour Party candidates socialist on programme. There must be no vote for Evecit's from workers party peasants-but a campaign to suport SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 25 May, 1977

IN BRIEF

FINLAND

A deep fissure has developed in the Communist Party after the leadership's decision to return into the new government coalition of "economic pledged to stediid ion liciet -which means anti policies. Many rank ROrKIOCa file members of the party and reject this collaborationist Popular Frontism.

ITALY

Interior Minister Cossiga's policy against student and of oben war unemployed demonstrators stadent in ome. his tim-der hias victim-a taimed violent provoked many more The Communist demonstrations. Party, closer than ever to polítical accord with the right-wing Christian

CGIL

Democrats, and the (the union Communist Party's federation) continue to to Cossiga's uncritical SUppUrl They attack the "provoc- violence. ateurs" of the far left but offer no perspective at all for any struggle for the rights and conditions workers in Italy's rapidly deterior- ating economic crisis.

INDIA

Indira Gandhi and her closest supporters have regained control of the Congress Party at national level.

But in the provinces the Party is of haemorrage opportunists, resigning to join the order to gel ruling Janata Party in seats in the forthcoming regional elections. The Desai government has disolved these assemblies in many areas where they were still Congress dominated so that the Janata candi- presidential date can win. due June (The elections President is elected in a-ballot of al members of regional and national parliaments).

POLAND

Stanislaw Pyjas student the Workers Defence member of Committee found dead was unexplained circumstances on May his tunera was the occasion for a huge silent demonstration which authorities called "political provocation" They haye replied by stepping up the arrest of Workers Defence Committee members, two of whom have been reported killed "motor in accident"

SAN SALVADOR

The of the Foreign body Minister, Mauricio Bargonono Pohl, kidnapped and then killed by the Liberation Forces, Popular was Gangs of right found last week. thugs, with wing government backing, immediately began a cam- known of reprisals against left-wing sympathisers. Their first

SAYİ:I

2 MAYIS 1977

ENTERNASYONEL

iȘCi SOSYALiST BİRLIĞİ (WSL)

YAYINIDIR

20p of The first iss ue bateraicfld the openly Trotskyist bulletin firct to bevaiblile from TWSL, 31, Dartmouth Available from WSL

SOCIALIST PRESS. Wednesiat 35 Mar, 19--

ISRAEL

The results of the Israeli down the general election have swept current the Labour Alignment from the predominant it position has held since 1949 and have paved the way for a govern- mental takeover by the right Carter's wing Likud Party. This led by former Dally terrorist Menahem Begin, better known as the leader of the Irgun Zvei Leumi gang. This gang carried out the Deir Yasin massacre of 1948 which sink Labour. sparked off the Palestine exodus of that year. suicide, election results ing money show Likud holding 41 seats in the the Central 120 seat Knesset (parliament) compared with Labour Alignment's corruption 33 seats and the Democratic Move- ment for Change's 14 seats.

Right wing religious parties including the National Religious Party, withdrawal Labour government last December allegiance precip- itated the elections picked up 22% Yadin's of the vote to give them 21 seats.

Movement Left wing groups, including the pro-Moscow Rakah group of Arab form Communists 9 managed to win National seats. Likud's triumph is attributable

DMC.

not to anv 110 1 representation (it only gained an contradictions extra 2 seats) but to the spectacular drop in the Labour strength from 51 to 33 seats. This drop is almost entirely of But Labour's own making. Economic- domestic

PAKISTANB

behind Bhuttos

PART TWO OF OUR SPECIAL

(SAMAJ).

The protest movement against Bhutto, which in the beginning was a movement restricted to loyal supporters of the right wing Islamic bigots of the PNA, grew wider and wider in scope as repression was stepped up. Specific grievances about the latest elections combined with the increasing general hos- tility to Bhutto and his policies.

As the working class came on the scene a call for strike must action resulted in a complete working national stoppage. Thousands more were drawn Demonstrations into struggle. venie in began, not now from the mosques, expose out trom the tactories. It was this that forced Bhutto to and slogans. seek the aid of the Army. Martial Law was declared in the major Hor consistently cities: The forces right wing opposition, 'neutrality' which had earlier called the has been Army to torm an interim admin- istration to supervise fresh elections had once again created the ilusion of a 'neutral' armed forces.

has clearly inter- Dun cdy vened on the side of Bhutto. It is unlikely that, in the near future, it will attempt to take over from paign Bhutto. Firstly because this is 1977, not 1958: having suffered the exper- ience of army rule the masses have only bitter memories. Secondly, the total defeat in Desh Bangla 1971 only discredited the but army gave Bhutto the opportunity political its ranks all except those from totally loyal to him. cerated by Finally, there is the strong trad- itional link between the army and the rural landlords and peasants, The and so far, Bhutto can count on the big landlords. to organse The tragedy is that the left has Tere depend on not been able to give a political lead to the explosion of the masses.

What The right wing. have seized the leadership tar. and army intervention has ensured that did LICi

LABOUR

ever

GOVERNMENT

occupied integral part

TOPPLED

concessions outside of Sinai.

These hawkish brought again ally it proved incapable of bringing prospect of a new war. from inflation rate Reaction from 40% inflation -an which states and the PLO spurred on a long series of strikes.

Politcally it had reached stale- military mate in its belaboured attempts to negotiation. with negotiate a peace settlement the Arab states-at a time when ground from backer was stepping who have been up the pressure on them to reach some agreement. national struggle. Then, towards the end of former Prime Minister Rabin's rule, a series of scandals occurred which were to The Housing Minister committed accused of misapproprat- from real estate deals; the Labour nominee as Governor of Bank was jailed on charges; and Rabin himset resigned atter his wife hac been convicted of holding an illegal bank account in the United States.

Sickened by these sçandals many Despite a supporters switched for Yigael and voted bosses' the 5-month-old Democratic for Change

(DMC).

lack complete In all probability Likud will now with the Religious Party and will sackings at the support of the ecue But this in itself is fraught with firm, now a DMC is since the reached its 15th week. demanding as its price the sort of electoral reform which the NRP has additionally been always opposed. certain that Israel's it and foreign policy will The long term aim of socialists Left build an independent to class party capable of uniting workers and poor peasants round a socialist programme.

they term ine hmmedlate task Is lo meci- the mass movement to the Right alternative, socialist demands

CEULICIDOSC

the importance example, right has invited the armed peasantry, left intervene. to While the of the armed forces considerably exposed, poor peasants and those of the urban masses.

the right wing will probably mount an agitation and The result ichlove a palli movement is left

TROOPS OUT

isolated. The left has to mount a cam- for 'troops out of all cities"

FOOTNOTE.

and go on to demand withdrawal of troops from the of Baluchstan and NWFP. concessions This is the time to direct the demands of the PNA leadership.

attention of the masses (especially He has those of the Punjab) to the rights of regional minorities. Law, outlawing The demand for the release of gambling. And prisoners must include the working class leadership incar- its old owners. Bhutto in 1972-3, well as the leaders of the banned National Awami Party. left must raise demands

PNA R

demand relating to the freedom of workers followed by The concrete form new they have rejected his offer demands take the specific situation should resign. faced by workers. The crisis is vital is that the left learns from this and past move- that the potential of the urban working class

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

no% swing further to here: i-z- Already Begin has declares ice territories 735 of Israel and refused to consider any territorial positions have the fore front line Arab have suggested that the empnasis wil now be on preparedness rather than The new situation now cuts the under the feet of all those in the Palestinian leadership willing to compro- mise the demands of the Palestinian building in Copenhagen.

DENMARK

full scale on- £1 million Dy slaught by the employers, by court in retanation

IOI

week national stoppage over wages and courts which virtually paralysed the press of positive last month. leadership from union bureau- And just before the crats the struggle against mass strike ended, agreed by Danish union provincial newspapers sacked theit Berlingske Tidende newspaper entire print workforce lock-out, has announced only half would be re- employed. In other words Meanwhile the print unions have employers have taken the decision fined a massive to force through a massive rational- isation and attack conditions. To do this crack the workforce at Berlingske.

This led to attempts at the end of April to produce a strike-break- ing paper, using toremen to do the work of printers. But the response from the working class was over- whelming. Each night from the first appear- ance paper picket of from one to two thousand battled with the police throughout the night to stop lorries entering the building or leaving On April 26, marched through Copenhagen in a solidarity demonstration with the locked-out print workers.

On Thursday 28 April, Berling- Tidende's ske announced the temporary stopping of the scab paper because of called threats to the safety of the foremen wing movements have too often dismissed the important and painstaking task of building work- organisations, and have been particularly scornful of what 'economistic' demands.

LIP SERVICE

And while paying lip service to the oi organising have wing partie cuts. done little in this sphere and taled totally to link the demands of the landless with forced political questions. has been that the rural poor lie dormant as the urban leaderless and demands, Bhutto has been forced to make the right wing various introduced of 'workers' participation' in industry.

sections of the traditional Islamic alcohol and he has started TO hand nationalised property back to the Labour Party. He has, of course, done nothing for the working class which is why he is losing more support every day.

He has now firmly rejected the for his resignation struct the Trotskyist Fourth International.

elections; and whether or not he shows signs of initiative towards its reconstruction.

abațing. Huge anti-Bhútto demon- strations are continuing and on May 2u a lurther 6 demonstrators were Page 3 9,000 workers demonstrate outside the Danish employers' federation

MASS STRUGGLES ERUPT

FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT IN DENMARK.

a Danish labour Stalinist leaders of The Berlingske print-workers have b The Totee. willing the start ac Irom of 1,0 150 redundancies (out spread over a period of 18 tc national months, but the management with a sell-out deal the figures every time negotiati officials, four begin again. At first they talked of 300, and now they are up in the 400 scal appears that the idea is to cut printworkers by half, as in the the by the provin of those fired print papers. At the same time as these evt most of the faculties at all Dai on jobs and they must universities ate occupied students in

ULULODI

4H4 "entrance restrictions" and closure of the Social Science B Education the new Rosk University Centre. Roskilde was started as experiment in new methods • a few ago

CUTCARDIE

rapidly became a centre for Mar mass counter education to bourg ideology. sy must of revolt to the bour Just became with papers. 9-10,000 workers parties, and under

DICOULD

social democrats nave siowiv ti to undo everything and introd normal courses. The occupations lasted 3 we Although they did not achieve t full students demands, the assurances that concessions wo so- be made, and announced readiness to resume the struggl 'order to ensure education is ope up to broader layers of society

WORKERS

SOCIALIST LEAGUE

The Workers Socialist League is a Trotskyist organisation fighting to build a revolutionary leadership in the working class to lead the 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 by the sheer weight of forces opposing them to confront Only with an understanding of the role of the 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 the political questions to workers and prepare the forms of organis- 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 And we have strongly supp- orted the Campaign for Democracy in the Labour Movement, which has set out to show the link between the reactionary policies of the Social Contract and bureaucratic, dictatorship in both the unions and But our practical struggle for the continuity of the principles and 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- So there has been a consistent drive within the WSL to deepen and enrich the movement's understanding of the history and the present crisis of the Fourth International as an essential part of our We urge all readers who agree on the need for revolutionary lead.

WSL and join our fight in the Labour movement.

CDLM FIGHTS HOTELS

Page 1

BETRAYAL

At the time of the sell out Alan Campaign for Demo- The Law had begun to organise limited Labour Move- in the жсу blacking despite regional ent has come out in strong national leadership saying this was ndemnation of the sell out illegal. hotel workers in Birming- «There difference of was opinion among union officials as to m and Oxford. strikes should be how these hotel A statement carried by an emer- should be lost. Trust won,

CDLM

in of the acy meeting Houses Forte were without a doubt ford at the weekend called for extremely knocked that supporting itional blacking to be imposed to action was being taken because the third Trust Houses Forta pre they had been assured many weeks nike, at the Grosvenor House there would be no ago that given the jeffield, from Delig blacking* me treatment. THF response was to turn to the It also condemned the media with a massive campaign to District Official in Oxford, not anti- show that they well poff Hulett, to call off the picket union but that There was ie on the-night that the Self Help support for the sirikes. breached with police scists

APPARATUS

ipport, resulting in 38 arrests, and illed on the TGWU to make itself.

Jones also recognised what was sponsible for the payments of all at stake in the blacking. It was his Lal costs and fines. response to that which led to the a TGWU Pat Lally, member, the main characteristics of the "It is not simply one individual Fikes in Oxford and Sheffield had official we're talking about here- ben the necessity to confront the we are talking about an apparatus conditions mion leadership under that functions within the unions, had just joined the

TGWU.

here workers the not Colley

GWU.

Margaret Radbourne, shop "There is a tendency to say that steward of the Randolph chamber- le officials are corrupt and the maids and a member of the District fion officials are going to sell us Committee of the TGWU recounted at and therefore let us get round that the sell out the was The response of the workers presented without a vote and with- Oxford and Sheffield has been ifferent-constantly to direct back "If we'd had a little time to have ¡to the union structures."

meetings and talk to a few a few people we wouldn't have accepted

ALL NIGHT VIGIL

it." Martin Clayton the Pursuing this policy had turned at the Grosvenor House, hem into the best travelled hotel strikers forkers in the country they Sheffield, said that refused district official had ibbied every necessary committee meet them for two weeks. Each day ad undertook an all night vigil at made a fresh excuse. ack Jones office Transport louse to fight for blacking.

"Sometimes she says he'll be back and wait for a In Birmingham the domination at three couple of hours but we don't see the strikers by Alan Law had not Well into bowed him. this to happen. the strikers have been Now he strike it had come as a surprise some of those involved that they called together next Monday when they expect to hear a similar offer union branch. pere even

PORT TALBOT

BLACK NEEDED

travels, they had in that their The first meeting discovered that the social contract the London to support been broken at Shepcote Lane Talbot elec- embattled Port

EETPU

Sheffield, but the bricians had a rather disappoin- only concerned bureaucracy ling turn out of just over 50.

defend the social contract and Talbot that now argue Communist Party, who The strike is nationally known there 1s only initiated the meeting, Tell any under the table deal 'Flash- no way Electricians around can be done. In fact Chapple told presumably the the strikers that he did not want to Founds that this dispute. of central under the table deals, know about the fight against all he was interested in was main- < was ov a sectiona mace.

faining the social contract.

The left groups with the excep- members in the meeting

WSL

bor of Militant and one represen- of the importance ot the spoke

SWP,

were the struggle for the fight to defeat the ericaoas by their absence. The IMG of the govern- economic strategy Tailed to appear at all. points and Wyn Bevan the strikers, about the need for blacking and louised the struggle for the £10 supporting action. across the board and their WSL speakers proposed in The meter: unsatisfactory meetings with particular that a lobby be arranged The strikers had made Shop National Ports of the Stewards Committee with a view to the take place onl getting a complete black imposed that the

SLIKETS

on all steel in the ports.

presari at the negotiations with a they were said ratching brief. suggestion and interested in

NO CONFIDENCE

take it back to the strike would Tais had proved unacceptable to With BSC importing f40 million Steel. but with Chapple of steel a month to break the strike, austring in private to the men that he cost not possibly support their the fight to win the support of the dockers for such blacking is clearly because bo'= = the social contract through crucial to the victory of the strike.

of other member of his *Donations should be no= zould walk. the strikers are sent to Mr. D. SuVOUIL Avenue. place absolutely no Curtis, mise Io Port Talbot. strike costdence in their union officials.

Dark. bulletin is available from the strike SexTon spoke the Las Labour Club. Statino their negately He pointed

QUE

Rd.. Port Talbor. Jones Jackson for a sell out accompanied by the A previous sum £350 was unanimously rejected. Joseph Tosti, shop steward the Linton Lodge Hotel in Oxford, where the strike ended in victory, reported that since going back they workers into had recruited three the union. He said that all support should Grunwick. be mobilised

LOW

"If there is anything we can do to in their struggle then namp incl would be the first to support."

Johnny Patel, a member of the Grunwick, at strike committee week strike, the outlined the indis- constant police harassment, criminate arrests and the refusal of Tom Jackson to allow the UPW to take supporting action. into arbitrary After an inquiry Campaign for Democracy in the Labour Movement sup- porters in Scotland have pro- posed a Scottish regional con- ference of the CDLM on wage control and union democracy.

of the proposed The purpose which is to be submit- conference, ted for endorsement by the CDLM national organising committee neut Saturday. will to

CDLY

Scotlani to implement Hulett Grantham police at Willesden arrests by the Green the

SITSDECIO

retire four years early. The same Chief Inspector has now found himself a new job-personnel manager at Grunwick! Len Murray had offered support when there was -especially Verbal photographer around. poured into their strike messages headquarters but effective blacking of the electricity, water and post was still denied. The

APEX

General Secretary demand Roy blacking from the General Council asked instead for support, and more verbal support was exactly what he got. the only other action leadership was to impose a 24 hour picket which exhausted the strikers without increasing effectiveness.

SCOTS CONFERENCE

adopted by the the programme

CDLM

conference national on March 27 this year. This important conterence comes at a time when the labour movement enters the crucial stage Stage 3 of in the struggle against Social Contract and as union the conferences meet to consider lien attitude towards Phase 3 in August Jones and the ILC bureaucrats tried to defuse this struggle have deliberately conting State- SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 25 May, 1977

MOTIONS FOR

BRANCHES

The CDLM called for the resolutions to be following back into union taken branches and sent from there to district and regional com- mittees: 1. The TGWU members on official strike for 23 weeks at the Randolph Hotel Oxford have been instructed the union to accept a buy off which means they have all lost their jobs and the union is lett without a single member in the hotel.

The members were called out by District Official against the victimisation as part of the union's intention to unionise the declared hotel and catering industry.

denied the The strikers were right to decide on the continuation of the strike as the TGWU Regional from Office had accepted terms Forte previously Trust Houses the strikers, of cash rejected instead of the union's payments demands for re-instatement and withdrawing that Tane

UHHOI

official recognition from the strike, ending financial support and calling the limited blacking, action off within the region. The major factor in the strike being lost was the retusal of the TGWU General Executive Council to implement the policy adopted at Committee Branch, blistrict and National Trade Group levels for through TGWU national blacking, regions, of Trust Houses Forte and calls for the immediate implemen- tation of this policy to ensure the strike Grosvenor remaining House, Sheffield, is won.

the This meeting condemns Official's attempt Oxford District official picket withdraw the from the Randolph Hotel in face of fascist provocation without reference to the strike committee and supports the policy ot the TGWU 5/670 hotel workers branch calling for the union to accept full responsibility for the payments of fines for the 38 arrested pickets and donates £ to the Defence Fund.

CDLM

undertook to! The organise a campaign for blacking by

UPW,

GMWU

and the the EEPTU of post, water and tricitv to Grunwick CDLM supported a call to open files British books Leyland in the light ofthe 'slush fund' revelations. Part of the March 27 CDLM Conference giving the false impression ments that a Stage 3 deal would not be as straight as Stage 2 and would allow specific flexibility With problems workers have. can help to The conferenie expose this fraud and to present a alternative to the Social socialist Contract. The conference will be held on Sunday June 35 in Stirling. Further information and credentials can be obtained from Stewart MarLennan.

18. Carrington St.. Glasgow, 64.

SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 25 May, 1977

PAISLEY GAINS

FROM LOYALIST

STRIKE

of the The 11-day of the workforce were reporting for end work by the third day of the strike.

Loyalist strike against British Even more decisively, the UUAC policy Northern security in failed to shut down the Bally- Ireland has been acclaimed as lumford station power a major victory for Roy Mason two-thirds of Northern generates the Northern Ireland Ireland's electricity. the fifth and day of the strike, May workers office. there voted 286 171 against But even though Paisley and his striking. cohorts failed to win their demands Nevertheless, UUAC did the for tougher security measures and important local support, the restoration of Stormont. they particularly in Paisley's parliamen- were able important to extract tary constituency of North Antrim.

concessions from Mason. The docks at larne For before the strike even from the very outset, and in Bally- ended, five-point package had farmers blocked the town been agreed by Mason and Bally- support of Paisley and centre lumford power workers. the strike demands. This package included intensi- fied military operations in Catholic

CONTROL

areas, greater use undercover anti-terrorist squads and an increase This support has remained solid, in RUC numbers to some 6,000.

even after the strike for in the local Already Mason has fulfilled one elections May Paisley's of these points Democratic by announcing Unionist Party

LOOK

doubling of SAS operations in the control of Ballymena town council South republican stronghold of increasing the number of seats it by Armagh, and there can be no doubt held from 4 to 11. that he wil do his utmost to meet Ful results of the elections were the other points agreed upon.

not available as we went to fizzled largely 'he but first indications are that Paisley because of a lack of response from Loyalists have Protestant workers. The first major made some important gains the Ulster Unionist setback Action Council (UUAC) leading the demise would see electoral 29, April when lout. Come 8,000 workers at the Harland and Post-strike Northern Ireland is Wolfi shipyard East Belfast no more advanced politically than 1n voted to stay at work. Official ago. was lucE And though absenteeism rumours from the Northern Ireland high at engineering works, over 70% Office suggest that a new round of March against Bill

ON MAY 14, TEN THOUSAND

whether Liberal, Con- Labour or demonstrators marched through servative, to vote against the Bill.

London to a rally in Hyde Park. Speakers The march, called by the National McDonald and Germaine Greer. Campaign the Abortion against The slogans of the WSL, which anti-abortion Benyon Bill, attracted on the march. large contingents of workers repre- raised the need to fight the issue on senting Trades Councils, union class basis, by challenging the groups. and linking coalition government about this Aithough feelings the fight for free abortion to the Bill are very strong, the rally was struggle to defend the health service left feeling it could do very little against the cuts. but pressure individual MPs "talks" between meaningless the

SDLP,

Catholic the Official Unionist Party and the "moderate" Alliance Party is in the offing.

NO POWER

But these talks can neither pre-1972 resurrect the pattern of rule, the

NETONILY

sharing executive and Council of Ireland which was brought down by the UWC stoppage in 1974.

Instead, that being proposed is some form of "admin- istrative devolution" ie, an enlarged local authority devoid of legislative and bearing no relation to power, the political situation in Northern Ireland. Such institution may find an favour with local politicians, but it will undoubtedly be rejected as a charade by the people of Northern Ireland themselves. No solution to the Northern Ireland be conflict found within the context of the Northern Ireland state. The only way out of the present impasse is through the defeat of ime Northern thelest staid if Northern Ireland state upholds. But these tasks can only be achieved if fought for by a united Irish working class led by a revol- utionary The liotskyist party. failure of the UUAC to lead the Union officials at Leyland's Cowley Plant are to be called on to explain what fight they will lead to open all jobs in the factory to women. public meeting, called by Oxford and District Trades Union Council, overwhelmingly supported a resolution to campaign for equal opportunity in the factory and to keep a permanent sub-committee on the trades council to fight for women's rights. The question of the factory employment fight inside the trade union movement emerged the keynote of meeting of 120 people, boycotted single trades every officer. ihe strength that emerged has built up an impetus that the officers will find impossible to sidestep. motion, calling Trades A on Council to invite officials to explain publicv their position on women working in the factory comes in the an exemption order which WaKe OT now allows women to work nights in the body plant. This, together with a motion to make the women's rights sub com- mittee permanent and to allow it to call open meetings was overwhelm- ingly carried. All four main speakers stressed the class nature of women's oppres- sion. Vicki Ryan from

ASTMS

sketched an outline of the struggle Protestant workers out on strike revealed important has an rift between the reactionary Loyalist leadership and the mass of Protest- illl workers. Revolutionaries in Ireland must try to take advantage of this rift by pressing ahead with demands for the establishment of armed defence Catholics protect both and Protestants from UDA, UVF,

SAS

and regular British Army attacks.

TROOPS OUT

Here in Britain the fight for the immediate and unconditional with- drawal of troops from Ireland must be stepped-up by linking it with the demand for an end to the Lib-Lab coalition, and for the expulsion of right-wingers like Mason, and his predecessor Merlyn Rees from the Labour Party. The struggle against British imperialism in Ireland is central to the struggle for proletarian revol- ution in Britain, and only by linking the two ustinean the age old "Irish ever successfully resolved.

EQUAL RIGHTS MEETIN

by women, pointing out how that struggle only moved into the work- ing class wnen it was taken uo in action by workers. Iliass "Progress towards equal rights for women has been very slow and there have been times when the tide The wars brought major

IWO

more women inlo ine lactories as the war economies demanded more exploitation than men alone could give in the factories. At the end of the wars the women were driven back into the home. The Equal Pay and Equal Opportunity Acts had merely taught simple

CIDEYE LO

rules to evade them. Mary Roger, a member of the National Union of Teachers equality sub committee, said that 16 years of equal pay for teachers had not altered the of pattern women in the lower paid jobs.

Young children learned at school from watching the teachers that the woman usually filled the subordin- ate positions. She from quoted children's reading books which work LU cement sex roles from the earliest age. Cathy Sherlock, of the Randolph strikers said: "Catering is the lowest paid, lousiest work there Everyone is paid so , badly that IS. you can't even point to specific against women. The higher the class of hotel the greater the gab between what Page 5 Tories to slash housing Immediately after the To capture of the Greater Lond Council their new plans housing (or rather, dehousir have begun to emerge. The for a century por sale of of council properties already well-known. Horace Cutler, the new leader, has openly announced i lories' intention to do awav council responsibility for provid and maintaining homes. If this is allowed to happen already chronic housing crisis London increase thousands more people, especia unable to find sor the young, where to live Already the Tories have beg the eviction of people who h been forced to squat in emi properties for lack of somewh decent to live. Some of these had agreeme

GLC

with the Labour where they paid rent and were allowed stay On the massive Ocean Estate homes will Stepney, council taken over and transformed ir offices-with over a million squ feet of empty office space alrea existing in Central London.

leaflet distributed Workers Socialist League on Uccan estate warned workers a tenants that the Lib-Lab coaliti would called for the initiation of a lab not stop the Tories movement and tenants inquiry i the f as weston ume housing step towards mobilising mass re based socia Lalies alternative. they pay in wages earn profits. "The only way that work can fight against managements li this is through struggle.

At the time of the meeti Geoff

TGWU

officials Hulett Oxford and Alan Law in Birmu ham were being pressured

WILC

final pretence at a fight.

'The sordid 01 reason why this happened at all w the union wanted to sell us out b they wanted to make Hulett and Hulett didn't Darknudl this so he started fighting for The same is true with Alan "The real answer is for more a more women to join the union a then to take action. "Although the union may hav closed shop mn cne car lactones Cowley and Dagenham there sweat shops exploiting women a immigrants just round the corner Pam Jones from the Elizabe Garrett

LOO

point about the bureaucracy.

had to threaten to withdraw all o membership in the district befo Alan Fisher would change his li from that of David Ennals."

She recounted the history of t occupation, the worke hesitations, the betrayals and t eventual overwhelming decision.

The woman who started hospital the first was "She was told she shou doctor. always wear nurse's uniform not appear too intelligent.

HOW FASCISTS

Page 6 The Italian communist Gramsci, who ler Antonio forty years ago in ist prison, once remarked "History teaches that erly ons; but it has no pupils.

was looking to be proved ing. rise the The recent ugly rity of extreme right wing and ist organisations-from Ine onal Front which got nearly a

GLC

of the vote in some stituencies three weeks ago to National Association edom and the Self Help group th have given their support to hotels management mates-shows how important it is that the labour moveReil learns the pupil and omes ory of fascism. Socialist Press is l'hat why lishing a series of articles on which ism in the twenty years up to the Second World War.

will be first article on Italy by three others-on owed Spain and Portugal. many, finally on Britain. Throughout the adyanced capit- and countries the economic crises which followed the ¡tical World War spawned rements. The form and fate of these varied: in Italy and vements fascist parties to many like other countries tugal and Spain other extreme wing forces seized power and med themselves with the fascists; in Britain and France, instance, the fascists, though tificant, came close lo Never her directly central But all cases the tures of fascism were similar: its base as a mass movement was petty-bourgeoisie--state Mussolini riding with the King of Italy Mussolini

TOOK STATE

POWER

those of the bourgeoisie itself.

shopkeepers, "profes- bureaucrats, The Social Democracy, Trotsky sionals" and some intellectuals; its though it bore the prime argued, against the tactics were voice responsibility for the rise of fascism and often workers' moyement was nonetheless completely incon- racialism; its words were spiced patible with fascism. when with anti-capitalism but This analysis formed the foun- acted ruthlessly power it unte interests of big business from which dation of the policy which Trotsky consistently urged the Communists received its material while it followed a partly parlia- to defeat fascism-the pursue united front of workers' organisa- mentary road to power, its decisive strength lay in physical control of tions, Ultimately fascism could only be the streets and its ability physically to destroy the organisations of the eradicated by proletarian revolution but immediately, fascism could be labour movement. obstructed from coming to power

NEW PHENOMENON

by the united action of the whole working class. Fascism was a new phenomenon consistency and the Both the -a feature of the epoch of capital- profundity of Trotsky's analysis of ist decline, response stands the sharpest In increasing exercising auriculty possible to that of the contrast capitalist rule through the "demo- after its Third cratic" parliamentary methods Stalinist degeneration. which capitalisın had itself created.

Fascism in power did not change took the connection Stalin like class. Fascism, between the rise of the proletarian the ruling parliamentary democracy, was cap- movement and the revolutionary growth of fascism to mean that the But if the ruling class italist rule. remained the same, the relation of mechanical was simply second Failing classes under fascism was reflection of the first. all the completely to foresee the ruthless profoundly altered. type of counter-revolution which fascist Fascism the Third authoritarianism which, as Trotsky unleash, power welcomed put it in What Next?, "has for its almost International fascism as a sign that the inevitable basic and only task the razing to their foundations of all institutions socialist revolution was round the of proletarian democracy" that is corner. political parties, Stalin, the fact that the trade unions, clubs and co-operatives which the capitalist class rested in turn on the workers had built up in times of social democracy 01 bourgeois democracy. And in order that the fascists came to mean social democracy was no more than to destroy all workers organisations the 'moderate wing of fascism', the it was necessarv for tascism also lo destroy all the political organisa- "social Fascists": The Stalinists tions of bourgeois society including necessary to argued that social democracy before destroy destroying fascism Through such sectarian policies the Stalinists, refusing all united tronts with oiner workers helped to fascism bring of When the enormity to powel. the disaster made it impossible to this catastrophic ultra- maintain then Stalin shifted in left position, 1935 to a right-wing policy of 'anti popular fronts fascist" alliances in with the parties of the capitalist class. the contributed to annihilation of workers' democracy in Germany, the Stalinists became the defenders of bourgeois demo- cracy in Spain. In hoth cases the Stalinists helped to sell the workers into the most appalling repression.

The lessons of fascisn, the lessons of social democracy and the lessons learned of Stalinism must together.

FIRST OF TWO PARTS BY BOB SUTCLIFFE.

in Italy Fascism was founded as a political party in March 1919. Within little more than three years Benito had become Prime Mussolini Minister. the The speed with which fascists gained power was all the frightening given that those more three years had seen the greatest mobilisations in the history of the Italian working class. Fascism rode to power over this militant and immensely workers' movement, which by 1927 ruthlessly destroyed. had been big business which was financed and abetted the fascists; and the political representatives of small and medium capitalists who inted tham to take rower. but it SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 25 May, 1977 Workers occupy the Lancia factory

HALY: THE

ON is impossible to avoid the con clusion that the ultimate politica responsibility for Mussolini's success lies with the leaders of the and organisations of the labour movement.

FATEFUL SPLIT

The origins of fascism go back to of the First World the beginning War. Both right and left • were divided over whether Italy should intervene in the war. And in 1914 a fateful split took place in the Socialist Party. Benito Mussolini the editor of the was Avanti! Socialist Party's paper, (Forward!) and posed as a leader of the left of the party. 1914, however, he began a campaign for the entry demagogic He had justi- of Italy into the war.

SOCIALIST PRESS. Hednesday 35 Mer, 197- Turin e wrecking of the offices of Avanti!

MARCH

ROME

fied this position with anti-capital- ist, syndicalist rhetoric saying that the upheaval of the war would unsettle and destroy the bourgeoisie. But after Italy finally declared Germany and war Austria 1915 the substance of Mussolini's position became obviously chauvinist and reaction- ary, shouting for territorial gains I for Italy. Mussolini and his small group of were expelled from the polowers Socialist Party, which adopted compromise cowardly position towards the war-"neither support, nor sabotage", though its members of parliament did vote against war

LICULS

Later, after the Russian Revol- lution the party changed in words to something close to a revolutionary position-but defeatist took no action at all against the bourgeois government. of the war Italy's government was in the hands of a series of weak coalitions led by the Liberal and Radical Parties.

The traditional bourgeois parties looked on in terror at the growth of workers organisations and the increasing militancy of the working class as well as of the poor peasan- try which was conducting a massive campaign ot land occupations.

The major landmarks in these years of struggle were the general strike in Milan on April 29, _ prolest against ponce violence against a socialist rally, the political near insurrectional, general strike of July 4, 1919, the national general strike 20-21 called solidarity with the Soviet and Hungarian revolutions, the huge gains of the Socialists in the general elections of November 1919 and the historic wave of factory occu- pations in August and September 1920.

WORKERS COUNCILS

In Turin, where Gramsci and the group of revolutionaries around the L'Ordine Nuovo, (The New Order) played a leading role, this move- ment ed to the establishment of Soviet-type workers' councils.

ror two years the bourgeoisie was for good reason seized with a terror of revolution. But there were fatal deficiencies in the national leadership of the Socialists-including the large of sections the party Welco nominally supported socialist 'Maximalists' programme the led by Serrati). BV crucial windrawing at the moment • every sluggle, that the socialst leaders ensured revolutionary upsurges were quelled every time. The however, did not feel confident that the Socialist leaders could maintain control of their followers and increasingly looked elsewhere for political sal- vation-to the extreme right.

In 1919 the most organised section of the extreme right was a nationalist party led by Gabriele d'Annunzio illegal an military legion occupied the Yugo- slav town of Fiume from September 1919 until the end of 1920.

FASCES

Many of d'Annunzio's followers were to the new movement which Mussolini founded meeting in Milan March 23, 1he movement was called the Fasci di Combattimento (Fasci reterred to fasces-a bundle of sticks bound together Empire's symbol was ine koman of authority). The initial programme of the Fascists was a confused jumble of chauvinism amd imperialism on the one hand "syndicalism" and "workers control" on the other.

The confusion reflected the groups that initially came together around Mussolini: they included people who considered themselves anarchists, syndicalists and social- ists, as well as a number of Army commandos. Few of them were from the traditional bourgeois parties from the traditional right. tar Virtually all of them were from the urban petty-bourgeoisie. April 1945, Fascists pay the penalty at the hands of partisans The fascists grew rapidly: in December 1919 there were 870 and by she end or 1921, 200,000.

members; later, 20,000 Less than one in six were workers, Despite Mussolini's 'left' rhetoric the fascists soon showed their real through their actions. In April 1919 they had joined army officers and other right wing forces in violent attacks against the Milan generai strike movement including the destruction of the headquarters of the Socialist Party paper Avanti!

of which Mussolini had once been tie caltor.

PHYSICAL ATTACKS

And in July Prime Minister F.S.

Nitti set a pattern by accepting the support of the extreme-right thugs against the general strikes.

The fascist movement thrived on this ruling class support for its policy of physical attacks against the labour movement. Big business and large land- finance wis poured Into movement and came to rely on it for support against strikes and land from the ScIzures. squadristi; but government authorised public statements he also presented thousands of army officers to join moderate 'constitutional' And from February lasCIsts. posture through which he eased his 1922 the fascists received the open 'national bloc' electoral way into a support of the Vatican alliance after with the Liberals led by election of the Giovanni Giolitti in the new general Pope, Pius XI. elections of May 1921. This gained The fascists the fascists 35 parliamentary seats.

appeared the bourgeoisie and the Church as the Meanwhile important develop- best defence against "Bolshevism".

ments had taken From place in the late 1920 onwards the Socialist Party. balance of power in the ultra-right Januar revolutionary shifting decisively the to faction left the Party and establish- active para-military wing of the Communist Party of Italy fascists. leadership Amadeo These began in the countryside unaer tne Bordiga. of Northern Italy under the leader- The Communists had concluded ship Grandi and Italo Balbo, that the total degeneration of the and later spread to the towns.

Socialist leadership left the working These squadristi, highly class defenceless organised and well armed bands of ww.hout its own independent party. thugs, attacked trade union and The Party Socialists lost 34 Socialist headquarters and the new parliament (reducing their murdered and tortured militants. numbers to 122) and the Communist Party got 16 seats.

SQUADRISTI

The Socialist leaders were shortly to give proof of the extent During the two from of their degeneration. In the face of October 1920 to the March on continuing. fascist attacks they 3,000 Kome. anti-fascists agreed with Mussolini

WELC

truce killed by the squadristi.

known as the 'pact of conciliation' They also destroyed hundreds of This pact was so hotly opposed working class homes, and political, by the para-military sections of the union and community centres.

fascists that Mussolini had to step Mussolini's growing power came down December leader until The fascist high command that led the march on Rome.

Age 7 Partisans and CapUTES ANT.

Gramsci 1921 when at the Rome conference of the he party successfully reasserted his political authority.

Once that was done, Mussolini abandoned the pact, which was in case designed as a manoeuvre ally to convince the bourgeoisie that he represented responsible 'political' fascism irresponsible 'military' fascism. Mussolini gave the green пО W light to a new violent fascist offen- against the labour movement yve which plunged Italy into a series of virtual civil wars in the local areas.

The fascists were clearly pre- for paring kind oi coup d'etat.

PARALYSIS

The labour traditional move- ment watched in virtual paralysis, hoping that the cowering parties of the bourgeoisie would control fascism by using the police and the which army were packed with tascist members and sympathisers.

The tried one last pathetic gesture. A broad "Labour Alliance? called "legalitarian general strike" in August 1922 fascists announced that, if the government had not ended the strike within two days, they: "would demand complete freedom of action and substitute themselves the State which once will have shown its impotence. Meanwhile fascist scabs kept public services The

LAE

running. leaders Labour ot the Alliance cringed before these threats and called off the strike. The way was now wide open for the fascists to take power. government invited Mussolini join a coalition; but the fascists had bigger objectives. They set in motion a plan for a March on Rome by 150,000 armed fascists from all corners of Italy. And that was the final nudge which the bourgeois parties needed to hand over power. Mussolini became Prime Minister on October 1922 28, The bour- geoisie heaved a sigh of relief and the Socialist Party leaders Taked hoping hardly a breath of protest, that power would tame Mussolini.

CONTINUED NEXT EDITION.

Page 8

VULTURES

HOVER IN

N.E. AFRICA

Last week the overwhelm- and the left wing Popular Union Revolutionary has led ing majority of the inhabitants Party) LO reports of dozens or even hundreds France's of Djibouti, last o ucaL callı udy Africa, voted for colony in Since the end of April over though independence, 1,000 people are reported to have been summarily murdered in the French military presence will streets. remain. Most of these were believed to Djibouti is a tiny enclave once be from the left opposition; many Somalia, i known French of them were amon rallil officially the Territory of the Afars International students Amnesty and Issas. that there are 8,000 estimates occupies a crucial strategic political prisoncis. between Eritrea (in position the Brezhnev's réluctance to give north of Ethiopia) and Somalia. It all the Menistu military support is also Ethiopia's main rail outlet to he wants appears to be not because i the sea. of qualms about this bood On the eve of its independence letting but because of the compli- ( Djibouti already tacec the threat cated web of manoeuvres the not only of internal clan rivalries Kremlin has carried out in that part but also of in vasion from. two of Africa. This from places. CO11

CULLIC

Ethiopia, the anxious to capture of Djibouti by its enemies, Somalia, or by one of the Eritrean liberation armies; or it could come from Somalia, aVCLACIIL part of claims the territory "Greater Somalia* (which stretches across a large stretch of Ethiopia and Kenya).

INSTABILITY

Ethiopia and Somalia say Both intervene until the they will other does so. Djibouti has thus become a new this crisis- of instability in

SUTCE

ridden region of Africa. The present centres of this crisis are in Ethiopia.

left-talking Ethiopian military dictatorship, the Derg, is Mengistu eU W Three are against the three Eritrean The main opponent of further Front for the Liberation of Eritrea Soviet to Ethiopia the (which defines itself as Marxist and Somalian government, the first and most loyal ally of the Soviet Union the Eritrean Liberation Front (with In AlTICa.

VYC1

It was this embarassing conflict smaller right wing group.

Castro which Fidel Between them these movements Lunng recent African tour tried unsuccess- (which have recently abandoned an fully to solve in a secret meeting in

USILL

Yemen Mengistu and South the Somalian President, Siad Barre.

1n Tne But last week Barre months made huge gains. PuDIICy called into the question the alliance with the Soviet Union. the imperialist with their allies in vultures, along Sudan and Saudi Arabia, wait to the first of any on sign casualties of the Soviet diplomatic

EXPELLED

offensive in Africa. These regimes are not concerned with. supporting Eritrean indepen- dence so much as ensuring Muslim control of the rather than Soviet entrance to the Red Sea. The Soviet Union for its part has FRed Seat thrown its weight against guerrillas, by giving increasing sup-

MASSAN

port to the Ethiopan leader Colonel seized Mengistu who power by

ASMARA.

eliminating his rivals in the Derg last February. civilian Although his main

SUDAN

TIGRE

political support comes trom the

BEGEMDIR

Me'ison group, the Maoist Mengistu went to Moscow last week appeal for additional military aid

GOJJAM

from the Soviet government.

expelled vir- He had •HIy luSL

ADDIS_

tually all American representatives

HARRAR

from the country after Carter had

ETHIOPIA-

cut off aid. Mengistu is in desperate need of aid against the Eritrean not oniy Tebels and the threat of conflict with Somalia. More and more he neCOS against his own opposition against a ruthless which he has launched campaign of extermination.

"MILITIA"

government-organised "militia" has been set up and given

KENYA

carte blanche to round up and slaughter "counter-revolutionaries" The technique was used against the Eritreans last year.

NAIROBI

But within the last few weeks me bisady campa an oss "national the bloody against ELme the (which includes opposition Letter:

MEDICINE

Dear Comrade Editor, 'Medicine for The article the Masses' in SP 59 is a usefui illustrate the attempt to possibility of a new develop- ment of science under social- but the central ism; whilst and theme, that science, culture generally are held back under capitalism is undeniable, weaknesses in there are two the articie which deserve com- ment. is the argument that The first workers have as much knowledge as Thus trained bourgeois scientists. "the cleaner observes the ward patients wi[n us muci percepion and for longer than doctors" italics). clearly nonsense. One of This is the problems of capitalism is that Synthesised insunn

SAUDI ARABIA.

SOUTH

YEMEN

ASSAB

ADER

EDJIBOUT

*BERBERA

OCADENT

SOMALIA

MOGADISHU

250m Greater Somalia MAOISm AND knowledge is denied to the masses and science and medicine mystified so as to make them the preserve of the bourgeoisie.

Marxism is not the only form of is not thrown science which i up spontaneously by the working class.

in using the example Secondly of the health service in « na LO which society based on the working class can incorporate the special exper- iences of workers into the body of scientific knowiedge, and go on to use that knowledge in the interests the article paints of the masses, Chinese of an uncritical pictüle medicine. The enormous progress made by the of the Chinese control disease is undeniable. Much of this the teaching progress results from of the rudiments of medicine 1965 and since nilion "s arefoot doctors" ce aced over a million to use both trained have been traditional Chinese techniques, such as acupuncture, and Western drug therapies mobile At the same time, medical teams tour the countryside to treat those cases too difficult for the barefoot doctors. of the important aspect one treatment is that there are no class the doctors and between DENeTS their patients and there is no mysti- frighten fication CUl-lc the patient and maintain the status of the doctor. Simultaneously, an emphasis on pre vene tre tidine hes resulted control of diseases once The common in the countryside. use of political campaigns to ngit has been disease carrying pests particularly successtul. For example, millions of disease carying snails have been picked by hand and destroyed, and there have against similar campaigns been mosquitoes and flies. But the use of such techniques as barefoot doctors and resorting to picking eradicate snaiis to nalne them reveal as much a weakness in Chinese as they do a TeCIIOOdy spirit of improvisation amongst the peasantry. the world such Leading projects such prestige Chinese synthesis of insulin, the is still not sufficiently economy advanced to provide insecticides on control a large enough scale to pests. To state, as does the article in Socialist Press that the old ways are as good, if not better than the new alternative technological ways is to of necessity. таке а As such it closely parallels recent medical statements by

OHT

with the

IMF

specialists who, have discovered that their backs, high technology hospitals are not the best places to treat their patients after all. They now tell us that ideally the sick should be cared for at home by We womenfolk. may be theit for cynical about forgiven such claims. not surprising that as it ls result of this technological back- mardnace the ideolnov of Chinese SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 25 May, 1977 Gathering snails-sign of primitive methods at work science has also become distorted.

According to Mao's dictum "Let flowers bloom, let a hundred of thought hundred schools contend", schools of different should be and medicine science allowed contend freely, and questions of right and in wiule science should be settled by dis- cussion and through practical work.

This is a conscious rebuttal of Stalin's administrative solutions to scientific problems which became especially evident in his support for the peasant's son Lysenko, in his scientific arguments genelLo with the petty-bourgeois classical geneticists. this deciding factor. in . IlC debate was that Lysenko's class background was impeccable, whilst his opponents had been opposed to the revolution! The fact that Lysenko's theories were rubbish did not enter into it.

It is a credit to Mao that on tris he disagreed with issue at least, Stalin. However, a glance through copy of a Chinese scientific journal, such as the Chinese Medical Journal will reveal exactly the techniques used by Lysenko to discredit his opponents in use today. And many of these dwell on the contrast between the science of the masses and those of bourgeois science. snail control in An articie the June 1976 issue for example.

contrasts a technique "foreign" tech- the peasantry with niques using pesticides. use 'foreign' attempt to ihe techniques came about, apparently "the interference and through the revisionist line sabotage of pushed by Liu Shao-chi, Lin Piao and their like", and perhaps unsur- prisingly in that light WalE unsuccessful. The main fault of Liu Shao-chi was in "denying the in Inis case the heroes and masses are real foreign putting metinds and specialists"" their faith Trotskyists are all too familiar with Stalin's use of identical tech- niques in the thirties to cover up Soviet tech- the deficiencies

OTI

a result of his own nology as policies. Under such conditions, the idea of a healthy 'proletarian' science is inconceivable As the article in Socialist Press method *the points out, Marxism and the fight for develop- ment of medicine and all fields of science are inseparably linked."

This is as true of the develop- deformed ment science workers state as it is of science under capitalism. Fraternally, Dai Stephens.

SOCIALIST PRESS, here SNo.I-

JUBILEE

FEVER: TRY

CROM WELL'S

CURE

Readers of 'Socialist Press' reminded of the existence of.

the continual references in the press and elsewhere to the fact that at the beginning of June we celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of the demise of ation of disgust and boredom with the froppery of the media-stimu- ment of a best-forgotten imperialist seen the beginnings of the greatest ment and brutal exploitation on a Reven actively involved in the slaughter of freedom fighters in Kenya, Cyprus,

WHITEWASHING

SECLEVE

everylning Irom Cana in acts of brutality against the nation- alist populations of Cyprus, South The monarchy has had to change as the British army has successively been driven from these centres of Ine bourgeoisie in maintenant indestensibe roper the links and capitalist rule.

it is social and political life.

EXTREMELY RICH

point about One most obvious Windsor Elizabeth that she, her relations, together with all al c extremely rich. On of this wealth, they ali receive enormous grants from the taxpayer. How has this extraordinary position come Before Victoria became monarch 1837, her personal wealth was not large compared to a great many landowners and large capitalists. Victoria's husband Albert, however, built up their estates with miserly care, and Victoria herself continued this, especially after an enormous bequest from eccentric millionaire.

PAID NO TAX

The advantage that great Victoria had in her accumulation of wealth was that she paid no tax. As the modern fiscal system was built up, it began with income tax. and developed taxes on inheritance and on capital gains. Many sections of the old landed political anstocracy, as inty influence the 20th during early suffered under these century developments. The current sale of the estates of Lord Rosebury, Liberal. Prime Minister around the turn of the century shows this. Only the Royal Family escaped. The Windsors must have saved many millions of pounds in recent decades simply from their failure to pay income tax, death duties and so This alone would them one of the richest families 1i le land. However, top of this, they 'on have which on they draw tax-free incomes, such as the peculiar Duchy of Cornwall, on which Charles Windsor draws enor-

RICHEST PERSON

They own many houses, and live In some or inem. There has never investigation neen by

DULLIUS

rariament or anvbody oI ine extent of this wealth, which makes the Queen the richest person in the country, and certainly no study, by Parliament.or anybody else, on whether this wealth performs any useful function at all Yet why Is li that such an enormous mystique has been built around the monarch that allows it to get in this special position?

The modern cult of the monarchy was invented by Benjamin Disraeli, Joseph Chamber- lain and the Tory imperialists of the late 19th century. trotsky The picture of Vitor 1-e oi large portions ai te date al presented British sometning to be proud ot golden and diamond jubile= =2- brations of victoria in 188 ana the first time, there was generally marital faithfulness, and so on.

It took a while for this image since Victoria's eldest son gambling, and her eldest grandson at the male brothel in Cleveland Street, broken up by the The press covered up the latter before his father did son, ine somewnat played a role in reconciling some existence o the mulir coves to ents LIe treachery of Ramsey MacDonald in

MYTH

By this time, the myth of petty bourgeois respectability had begun • stick, and the top echelons of the Tory Party forced the abdication of Edward Windsor in 1936 when he threatened to under- mine it. His well-known sympathy for Disraeli stability suppoed represent. of defenders view of the monarchy have the Labour since Henry Broadhurst, Castle propaganda all right' NÜR leader Jimmie Thomas Strike. This has been followed right Harold to wax lyrical

DECI

and its cheapness. The lack ition in Britain for much by this attitude of the of hundreds ritually dragged out of imperialist flags. The institution of monarchy has been built up this way, and very serious efforts to CulL vart universal confidence in it have been made, partly because the bour- geoisie needs an insurance policy, last Trotsky put this point clearly Where is Britain (roing?: "Royalty is weak as long as the bourgeois parliament is the instru- ment of bourgeois rule and as long as the bourgeoisie has no need of extra-parliamentary methods. But the bourgeoisie if Call royalty use the focus of all extra-parliamentary, rear focus directed against the working class The British bourgeoisie itself has Pare 9 *=I bEg at the danger of even

PRESS

I= To Stions monarchy. Thus 153- British title the Great Mogul oi India and deported its incumbent from the holy city of Delhi. in spite

GANG

of the fact that by this time this title had become only the British one bourgeoisie understood that under certain conditions the Great Mogul could become the focal point of a of Indian class struggle If you thought international circles against British rule" capital had taken another slap in the face with the revelation of multi-million pound bribes In recent years, the Tories have obviously thought seriously about from Leyland to oil the wheets forms of extra-parliamentary rule, of foreign trade then let Mr.

and the recurrent talk of 'national 'Daily Mail' put you right.

keep the monarchy under wraps for face them in the future, when the before he became preoccupied with

SHALLLO

have so far ruled do not function so enough to offset the libel claims But there are more the blame where it 1920's, the political position of the ism has replaced the unacceptable face of Capitalism", he wrote.

maintain the continuity of capital- Stale 1957 and 1963, it was the monarch official whim and not the individual preference of the user dictates the umpire in the disputes thåt built up between different factions of the That is how Poulson rose and fell.

other methods of dealing with these problems, there are come to British Leyland must have come as a big shock to the workers there as the news that Poulson and Prince Bernhard had been nation- Ferdinand Mount writing in the Society. In fact he thought it was the greatest thing since the middle three inventions which have shaped our "Even Marx and Lenin admitted that never before has the classes, for every nation which has Ramsay MacDonald difficulties faced by the

DO W

nation which hasn't isn't."

political institutions of smooth bourgeois rule. lands (all due to the demise of the middle class) and Mount found the ence from which the class is suffer- Labour fed up "But the alert questioning bour- geoisie could see other things too.

of nation- children down the from Northern Ireland, selves may rich and the poor-and they began There be may many situations the that one essential the

LIC

sadders Statesmun and according to Mount therefore a Socialist himself was not a "pseudo scientist' like Marx.

allowed his say Highgate Cemetary? Will Enemies sure that the during political book along with the Marx Library "I doubt it. I doubt it very know very built their they unions by the law, by right to strike, whether the Times imprisonment bitter struggles of the democratic which they. Gouriel won in 1649 by Attorney General can do about it.

now enjoy was chopping May 17 the Times suggests a barely concealed trade off. Amend the law industrial disputes, but weite in a ban on 'political' stoppages.

Who knows what South Africa and sympathy strikes operations -Grunwick in particular. the working class makes any curbs on strikes unenforceable. The By John Docherty suboris looks lo be precisely Ine union leaders are looking for.

INDUSTRIAL NEWS

Page 10 After 23 weeks

KETTERING TRUCE

Journalists at East Midland Allied Press returned to work 23 week on Monday after a the destruc- struggle against tion of their union chapel at Kettering. The strikers at Kettering have 450 workers, mostly women, are in their fifth week action in East of strike The Kilbride. workers, of the National members Union of Tailors and Garment equal Workers, are claiming from their employer, pay Laird-Portch Knitwear. still do Men and women different jobs in completely the factory so no direct comparison can be made under the Equal Pay Act.

GAP

There enormous gap an skilled jobs and the lowest male unskilled job and the manage- ment refuse to implement a job would evaluation scheme which close this gap. They falsely argue that govern- ment wage controls prevent them Lessons of Poly jailing The jailing of North East London Polytechnic Students Union President, Andy Strouthous, has raised serious questions for the labour move- ment. Imprisonment for contempt of court (Strouthous refused to obey preventing him from an injuction going to the Polytechnic and carry- President) out his duties as -could be used in this way against militant trade unionists as well as students. resisted this attack Students only with occupations, not North East London Poly but at the London School of Economics and elsewhere. But this was met with sabotage National Union from the Students Executive, (dominated by Labour Party and Communist Party who refused to take any members) action at all. The NUS leaders argued that Strouthous should accept an ofter to simply have access to his office- Poly nowhere but else on And the! humto calicu apologise to the High Court Judge who jailed him! has been Strouthous affair released. But the sharply underlines the role of the courts as a weapon against students who move o: she reformist and Stalinist union fought a heroic struggle against the Journalists, but big

CUCSEIII

mark still hangs over the return to work. The formula means that nine defectors LU members of the National Union of

SCOTTISH EQUAL

PRY STRIKE

from paying the women more.

The strike is unofficial since the officials of the NUTGW require a two-thirds majority to give official backing.

ALLOWED

This is of policy in line with their trad- completely itional role of allowing appalling sweat shop conditions in the textile mdusa, d tastonies are closed, mills factories closed, nationalist merely calling

TOT

policy of "import controls' The Laird-Portch factory as a subsidiary of Couts-Paton in whose other subsidiaries-Jaeger and Lady- bird-workers are now taking sup- porting action. This support and blacking action throughout the spread textile industry and motions of support must put down In all branches of the National Union of Tailors and Garment Workers.

Messages and support donations etc to: Strike Committee, c/o E. Nicklin, 153, Leeward Cricle, East Kilbride.

DOCK STRIKE

Members of ACTSS (T&G clerical section) in Merseyside Docks are still on strike after more than a week over a claim for an award to. deal with salvage cargo in the port.

strike (foremen, on une men checkers and timekeepers) have been negotiating for some time for 100% of the award already paid to the dockers-which is assessed for each cargo on the basis of arbi- tration between dockers delegates and management. members have recently been paid around 25% of such awards but the dispute arose when 12 men were offered a lower for cargo. percentage salvage As a result they blacked the Management ship concerned. reacted with lock-out. ACTSS branch came out in support of the twelve. The offer by a negotiating com- mittee led by their delegate Jimmy Symes, to forget the original claim did not satisfy who management seem to be on the offensive.

They refused to consider paying the twelve and threatened men ascipinary action against them. In addition they demanded that after a return to work the backlog must be with no extra pay. covered In these conditions Symes and the stewards had no alternative but mass meeting of the lo put to a branch on 1o May a mouon tnal the strike should until a continue "satisfactory" offer was made. The overwhelmingly vote carried was with only three out of around 300 Journalists and remain in the union until disciplinary hearings are completed by the end of August.

first the defectors rejected At They this

TUC

changed their position after private discussion with the TUC committee Bill Keys, general secre- chairman, tary of SOGAT. It is unlikely that they would have agreed to the settlement unless they had been given assurances that they would be free to resign at the end of August. The blurred terms of the return to work must be blamed on the leadership of the NUJ, who at the when supporting very moment strikes or substantial Gulation were sought instead for on the agenda, negotiated way problem. An alternative strategy, from the kettering

GWI

Council, calling for immediate blacking of Press Assoc- national copy and week long strikes lation was allowed to lie on area by area the table at the National Executive "showing bad meeting to avoid faith". Kettering have certainly not been smashed and they return to 100% work with Whether will open the agreement the way to their destruction at the August is an open question end of until the substance of Key's private deal becomes known. The Court of Appeal ruled one Final that day before the Cup of of the Association and Allied Staffs Broadcasting sending live must cooperate to South Africa transmission whether they wanted to or not.

of Arguments over the extent Union and Labour Rel- the Trade Act were all that General Secretary Tony Hearn was interest- ed in. So when three Law Lords Lord Denning decided headed by that to cut off this football match to South Africa was not part of a trade dispute, Hearn said: 'We are a law abiding union" and withdrew the blacking threat. meeting the previous s stewards' previous Friday had called fol ACTSS to return to work at once.

This lack of support for the dockers is a critical factor in determining the continuation the strike outside particular docks 111 the Merseyside Docks and Harbour Co. dockers have been continuing work with scabs doing the work to of ACTSS members. The dispute itself is clearly a provocation by Stewards feel a possible motive may be an attempt by the Mersey- Harbour Co. to side Docks and wear down militancy in advance of the pay claim which now comes up in August.

TOYMAKERS

RETURN

TOOLMAKERS at Lesney's toy and engineering group Have now returned to work but division- wide vote to decide further action is being counted. a head Two strikes came to provoked clearly by management. The toolmakers at the Wick were Hackney factorv working to rule after management refused to reveal the working party pay rates under review report since September. Manacement are using Phase ing having Cause discusssions. They suspended first a and toolmaker then progresssion maintenance men-seven altogether.

Hundreds of men walked out SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 25 May, 1977

COMNITEL

STRIKE

GRUNWICK

WE DEMAND LNIDN

APEX

RECOGNITION

LINITE • DVERCOME

JACKSON BLOW TO

GRUNWICK STRIKE

The Grunwick strike committee The strike at Grunwick has not taken by surprise by were reached a crucial stage. With Michael Foot's Jackson's betraval. summer nearly here and the "Sunday socialism" speech to firm's peak season just begin- the

UPW

Conference launch UPW General Secretary promised that the impotent Labour ning, Lib/Lab of component Tom Jackson has smashed any coalition would safeguard the rights strike hope of ending the of the working class to take indus- through post office quickly trial action. Grunwick From the mouth of a member of workers. blacking coalition an anti-socialist films. is simply rubbish. The ment this When a delegate at UPW Confer- working class have of the ence proposed that the union black come from its own Grunwick of legal irrespective strength and actions, not promises the NAFF's action resulting irom injunction, Jackson-his hand The Grunwick strike committee nis neart, no doubt-opposed him are planning just such action. After Jackson argued that the UPW's 40 weeks out on strike they over legal advisers had warned that not have learned some lessons.

only would

UPW

members carry- They have decided that in future ing out blacking be taken to jail, APEX officials will not be invited but the union's assets would be to all strike committee meetings.

sequestered as well. The role of union officials at Heath- So the resolution fell. and in the hotel strikes has roW Jackson was determined to do illustrated that workers must not The two things at his Conference.

place any confidence at all in union first was to force support for Phase officials to guide their struggles to 3 of the incomes policy, which he victory. did by combining it with a call for Further, the strike committee large wage increases-sowing • have decided that the 24-hour enough confusion to get his report picket is not a principle and that it accepted. should be dropped if more effective The second was to squash all action can replace it. opposition to the high court rulings Building labour movement against UPW members' right to take support for mass pickets is the next industrial action on South Africa step, and ine strike committee have or Grunwick. chosen the week of June 13-19 as this links Clearly up the first such initiative.

3: if

UPW

for Phase They plan to stop scabs and vans members take action in support of going through the gates, even in the other workers they might get the face of police harrassment.

idea of striking for their own higher wages! Warwickshire GMWU slams deal The announcement by School cleaners, supervisors

BITCHIL

Warwickshire County Council that and kitchen assistants employ- 1100 school meals supervisor: Warwickshire County ed by would not be sacked after all was Council have reaffirmed their greeted with derision by fight the meeting (as it was at the Nuneaton determination to Trades Council sub-committee) council's spending cuts. when it was discovered that they At a stormy meeting last Turs- become "temporary too are to day workers expressed contempt workers. for efforts of the full-time the branch The official and officials. secretary who have been negotiat- One was heard to say "It's about Warwickshire County with time they decided who they work Council failed to turn up to the members or the County for, the give a report to

SCOLINE

Council". back. It was felt by some members "They should do what we tell that they may have something to please" they not hide. announced another. The meeting passed the follow- Nuneaton The meeting. ing resolution unanimously.

GMWU branch attended by more "That this recognises branch than 60 workes, attacked the tem- that the result of the temporary agreement which porary employment agreement has been to was negotiated in September.

enable the county council to reduce Under this agreement any new of staffing

WITN

are set on on a tem- union resistance. basis-with no job security porary call therefore ubon the and no fringe benefits. GMWU to renegôtiate the terms of At the time union officials sold employment of ail county council the deal by pointing out that "these New terms of employment- staff. proposals will secure the position of should exclude appointment of any permanent staff". worker on a temporary basis with present temporary posts being con- verted to permanent ones.

Recent events have shown the call for the Furthermore, we true nature of the agreement with of minimum hours establishment being sacked without temporares work- for all stati regardless even a show of resistance from the load" Loaded no the exte Work bein fee further step foward in tha fight against the was taken

CULS

remaining workers. council At some schools permanent staff wicH

COLILY

JSSC

was set up-initially betweer have been sacked and re-employed NUPE and the GMU

SOCIALIST PRESS. Wednesdar 25 Mar, 19--

ASIMS REJECT

BULLOCK

On the of the first day is to be increased so that they are ASTMS conference East- now in a majority. in The NEC recommendation bourne last weekend, the dele- the motion on the rule book was gates voted 12,000 to 8,000 also defeated. A working party is to against supporting the basic management, many workers si rule book for the 1979

ADC.

This principles of the Bullock will undermine the NEC who in the Report. past have put all rule changes to the This is the report proposed by conference. the majority committee

ELECTION

including Clive Jenkins. "workers Motions calling for But the conference voted in line control of industry "and opposing with NEC recommendation against directors" "worker were carried, the motion calting for a working against the EC recommendation.

party, to look into the feasibility The NEC also lost the vote on of electing full time officials. The the composition the

ASTMS

arguments for this were along the delegation to the TUC-the number officias whistlent time of lay members on the delegation officials which, taken Builders logical conclusion; is an arguemnt for appointing MPs for life.

In the economic policy debate there was no real alternative to the plan fight

NEC

line.. of "selective import "control of export controls" and capital" argued for along nationalist

UCATT

lines. Jenkins in fact said that the has now made sale of the government's share further plans for its fight to was action. VIvaL Out prevent the closure of Conference voted overwhelming- Birmingham District Council's Ly for free collective bargaining but Direct Labour there was Construction call implement it. The NEC is going to Department. "campaign vigorously" In view of the Tories capturing obvious that the

NEC

will again of the West Midlands control follow the TUC line County Council the struggle The principle of nationalisation becomes more urgent. was defeated by 13 votes because the Tories win the other the sectional interest of the district councis next May, several section and the general thousand will at stake. Jobs he right wing attitude of the engineer-

UCATT

action committee ing foremen who make up the bulk have called a one day official strike of the conference on July 5 and are calling on other The

NEC

of course has been local authority workers to support by most sections chalenged it. represented at the conference but All branches and shop stewards no motion of reference back had supporting the been won. are send dele- call palgn asked o The reference back on the NEC gates to the meeting called by the report on the Health service was Wednesday Commee defeated basically because the June 7.45 in Digbeth Civil at National Officer Reg Bird, made a Hall. personal and political attack on one

CUTS

CAUSE NA

CASTE

CASUALTIES

Hounslow work-in The campaign to save the of the joint shop stewards says: 66-bed Hounslow hospital "This is our health service and (due to close in September as we are run

COMES

the interests of the working class.

a result of the government's Offers of concrete support and spending cuts) is going from donations for this important objec- strength to strength. should be Hounslow Live sent to All workers in the hospital have Hospital Defence Committee: been staging a work-in since March Staines Rd. Hounslow, Middlesex. Tel. 01-570-4448. 28, five days after the closure date was announced. The campaign is organised by

WEIR OCCUPIED

the joint shop stewards committee of six unions in the hospital and a broad based defence committee representing the labour movement.

WORKERS

AT

THIRD

The turn the worncis pian lo hospital into a "community London Weir Mater- _nospital-ine nos- pital" nity in South London-have begun Its closure, against the threatened they point wOrK-In

OUL.

closure of would remove the hospital virtually all

NHS

this facilities from Hounslow.

year. The Area Health Authority have There is now a token picket but, already closed down two wards and starting in July, comprehensive 24-hour picket will be needed to converted them into offices for stop the Authority itself. the Authority

ATCH

from removing equipment. the same time all overtime Official working has been also be demanded from AHA in a deliberate the unions: so far attempt only NALGO has to force the workers to leave.

made the occu- pation official. impossible to live on the basic pay

INDUSTRIAL NEWS

airways PHOTO: Andrew Wiard. The five AUEW negotiators at Heathrow of the movers, Colin Kenny who is the National Health One Advisory Committee delegates and the secretary of the Committee of London Area the Stewards in Health Service (CLASH). Bird said that what we wanted do was get "the British people to well housed, well fed and back to work. * The venue of a CDLM public neeting during the ASTMS Con- ference had to be moved when the room (booked by telephone) turn- ed out to be in a THFhotel!

-Secret files found Reinforcement Steel Ser- vices (RSS), a British Steel Corporation subsidiary in Greenwich, has now been occupied by workers for over ten days. The action is in defence of six workers sacked and pended after the factory's work- force joined in the one-day NUPE protest against the cuts on May 11.

But in the course of the occu- pation a much more sinister level to the dispute has been revealed -as workers detailed dossiers political drawn up for both on trade union activists in the plant and on job applicants. Other documents showed that management had regular consul- tation with the virulent anti-com- munist private employers' grouping Economic League which provides lists of "extremists" on- Economic League rigidly course opposed to nation- alisation. Yet funds from the state owned steel industry have obvious- ly been channelled in its direction.

workers, occupying ine strengthened their resolve by these revelations are now calling for a black on all BSC reinforced steel rods London's building sites This must be linked to the call for support throughout BSC, for the opening of the books and secret dossiers in every steel plant to elected workers committees.

The work-in, which is supported by

NUPE

to which most of the belong, was agreed at

WOTKES

meeting last Friday, 20. The May came when the withdrawal

CIVICT

of overtime working was extended to canteen staff. Realising that the hospital would have to close if the staff left, the workers decided instead on a work-in.

The members of the Area Health Authority using the two converted wards have now been extract from using the canteen and have 1o their enter offices through side

HEATHROW CRUNCH DATE

CATTON

CROSS

RESTAWRANT

A Policeman's Lot A rare moment of truth in a union conference the Holla AUEW conference in Eastbourne.

John Baldwin, the construction section's general secretary revealed the level of working class hostility to wage control, asking: "Is Hugh Scanion shouted out by Leyland workers because he is Hugh Scanlon? Do they abuse me because I am John Baldwin?

"Of course not. It's because we are being seen as policemen defen- ding a policy that the rank and file lads will not accept. "It's not nice having your suit ripped and ruined, to face open hostility and hatred, because you are trying to defend the discredited policy. I have been kicked, punched and nearly knifed." Midlands strike defeated The dispute at Albion Bottles, Warley, which arose out of the April 20 strike have ended in a appears to serious defeat. After the management sacked all 300

AUEW

viewed 400 unemployed workers to fill the vacancies, demoralisation began to spread. This was fuelled by the decision of the Birmingham West , District Committee to launch disciplinary against leading shop proceraligs stewards. Faced with the prospect of a long and probably violent dispute against a joint front of union and a letter to say they would return without the shop stewards.

this situation the shop stewards were forced to accept a settlement for a phased return to work based on seniority first. The leading shop stewards are to be left that last. victimisation is likely on top of disciplinary action by the union.

MORE DETAILS

Please Socialist League. Name.. Address Post to: Workers Socialist League, London NWS IHR rage 1/ British Airways manage ment have been given Friday 27 May to come with a "reasonable offer" face a recommendation shop stewards to mas meeting on that day to resum industrial action. The original deadline of May 1.

was extended after British Airway shift par agreed consider the claim wich had been drawn up b all the unions in the Engineerin and Maintenance section. The final claim was for shift pa increases ranging from 25% to 45% Management in return offered derisory 35p a day in order to keej the talks going. But the talks only got off th Reg Birch persuaded Brounu aller the engineers to end the blacking o aircraft which had been repaired by staff during supervisory four ane week strike. As we go to press there is no of the offer British Airway: news are likely to What is certair make. is that they will refuse to offer any thing like what the men are askin for because of the threat such ar offer would pose to the Socia Contract. With 55,000 employed the airport, certain that if one section were to break through the Social Contract the rest would want to follow.

This leaves British Airways wit} the choice of calling the bluff o the

AUEW

negotiators or making an offer which would only be paid when the pay code allowed. This i not going to please the engineers who lost over £200 each during the four week strike.

The shift claim be can won. But it requires a leadership which is prepared to take on the forces ranged against Quay government, them. the the employers and the union leaders.

It is also important that in taking action unilaterally, the

AUHW

fights for the support of the other unions who now clearly stand to gain from winning the dispute.

PAY CLAIM

- MEN SACKED-

Managements have drawn strength from the cringing collaboration of union officials, and every retreat by these "leaders" spurs on a new attack. The latest management tech- nique against strikers is modelled exactly British on the Leyland ultimatum to the striking 3,000 toolroom workers-start work or be sacked, with the full consent of umon eaters This was taken a stage further at Heathrow Airport where 3,000 maintenance engineers were sacked in an effort to break their strike- though management later backed down on this. But now in Scotland the Clyde Port Authority has sacked the 29-man maintenance squad entire the Greenock container terminal-because they took strike action over sick pay claim. Management have announced the terminal will be closed for at least two weeks while scab labour is recruited and trained and EETPU members

AUEW

must call for immediate action in support of the sacked men officials the union dualisi concenieu. be set up to consider changes 31. Dartmouth Park Hill

Page 12 For two weeks an explosion military of against the resentment Adolfo created fascist police has political situation in Euskadi (the Basque provinces) which Spanish have newspapers week, "insurrectional" more. described as and "a state of war" provoked The demonstrations began all Over Euskadi early in May to demand amnestv for the remaining streets. Workers political prisoners in Spain who include at least 27 Basque nation- alists. The armed police and para-r END BUSINESS SECRETS ...Cont'd from Front Page must spur on the demand to see the whole workings of the system If "slush" and unus normal corruption really are employers business relations as let the whole lot be workers' revealed to the

LIVELL.

"particip- The management ation" committees have

TOAT

convenors and sent rawl them onto the shop floor to argue sackings have and been exposed completely. Either these bureaucrats, along with national union leaders like Jones Scanlon. and KHew along of these transactions, and agreed to them: or even they must "participation" admit the whole machinery is a hollow fraud.

GIVEN AWAY

while In any case, worker have been instructed by Jones and "keep working" Scanlon to the they matter produce have been given away in corrupt deals at home and abroad.

The burning need now is for the books of Leyland as a whole elected be opened committees of workers, as ne start to a campaign to open the books throughout industry. There end to must compicle business secrets. Not one 'left' Labour MP has called for the facts to be revealed to the workers' movement. First they Iusnea to Leyland management; then, when became evidence overwhelming, they called for all kinds of enquiries-Parliamentary Select Committees or an enquiry headed by a High Court Judge. Callaghan went even further, calling for an enquiry run

LILOSE

accused of corruption-the NEB and Ryder! "unaccept- Leyland is not an able face" of capitalism. simply a part of capitalism. Capit- alism itself as a system is unaccep- table. And proposed every would the enquiry onlv have objective of putting the lid back part of the on the box of secrets before too workers demand to know many or the rignc the truth. Party The 5% shareholders of Leyland

SOCIALIST

PRESS

PAPER OF THE WORKERS SOCIALIST LEAGUE

EUROPE

BRITAIN

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ADDRESS

BASQUE 'STATE OF WAR'

Civil Guard (under the strike on Monday May command of "democratic" Premier the general strikes dispersed Suarez) the demonstrations with indiscriminate violence and in doing so killed six I ne the space oi dozens severely Each of these murderous attacks further demonstrations which increasingly took the form of real battles for the control of the Comele and students erected barricades and offered armed self- defence against the police attacks.

Then came a call for a general will have their say at the company's serious v workforce whose jobs are involved itional Programme written in 1938, summed up the position well, when in the section or ene rrogramnie Commust explain the debits and credits of to actual and exploiters as a whole; to expose ine benina ine scenes uears ana to reveal to al abour which is the result of capita.

ist anarchy and the naked pursuit bring about real control of produc- tion: calling in-as consultants but peopie- accountants, statisticians, engineers, is for this reason campaigning Io1 opening the books of Leyland to elected committees of trade union- £600 target for this fund.

ists in order to prove the necessity for nationalisation of the company for a similar policy to be pursued and

LN E

TILLON

motor industry under the manage- ment of these elected committees which should be part of a planned vote against its cover up plans and fight for opening the books of Leyland and the NEB as fight for the removal wing in and the preparation of an alternative socialist policy.

of its previous * the Self Help group tried to break out to stop them. the biggest hotel chain in the world £1.15 £2.30 £4.60 weeks victory after a similar 23 weeks on It is clear that official, mostly involving motorway significant 16. Of all in Euskadi in The PSOE has followed the same line: ot democracy in "The moment has call on the population not to fall into the provocation of those who create a climate of chaos Wall LO and violence in Euskadi in a pre- meditated begin in the Basque then extend to destabilisation whole country. the lever of the Consequently recommend work and the mainten- of a peaceful struggle amnesty These are the insidious words of opportunist traitors whose present is

CONCEN

strate their "worthiness" to partic- ipate in the Francoist's sham demo- Winky In doing this they never against sabotage Callel of Euskadi prepared to risk death and injury in the fight against Francoism.

ot the last three evenEs weeks have once again raised the question of a boycott ot the elections.

£3000 FUND

The response to the announcement in the last issue of our plans to produce 'Socialist Press' weekly from October has been very encouraging. A further £206.50 has arrived in the office over the past fortnight. Donations include R.G. and G.G. £100; A.C. and B.C. 150; B.S.410; Liverpool £10; K.M. £15; Cowley workers £19.50. The fund now stands at £376.50.

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HOTEL SELL OUT ... Cont'd from Front Page

LINTON LUNGE

This reduced trade to a fraction Randolph sellout came at the point 113 level in the where the Linton Lodge public bar was and the blacking on the motorways made victory possible. panicked When the fascist supporters of of thousands spending tens pounds full every national newspaper to try to maintain their trade. this point that the was at

TGWU

bureaucrats moved the kill. -that the management were able to The strikers were 17 May Tuesday Hulett, Geoff the in Oxford handling the dispute.

The offer it transpired much from THF-who SO merely upped theit buy off money, with THF the from the union. As Margaret Radbourne said: crucial question was national black- "He said he would lay his cards This was demonstrated by the on the table, and tell us as he was We'd get no more support told. Midlanas area Alan Law, the Birmingham regional and no more hardship pay.

"Hulett said he'd Regional Office. We the union's name. If we wanted to the that SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 25 May, 1977 Mass demonstration in San Sebastian Euskadi about half of those In eligible to vote boycotted last arrived to December's referendum. that time the Stalinist and half-heartedly reformist parties supported the boycott put forward certain conditions which could would have to be met before they would participate elections. country and the at

USCE EV

scramble to leap onto the Francoist electoral bandwagon these dropped and conditions got for trampled underfoot.

NOT MET

None of the conditions (eg only for political prisoners, to demon- legalisation of all barties) were met.

But unlike the leaders of the main workers' parties, hundreds of thous- workers in Euskadi took commit ands of those seriously, the regarding them as part of an offen- who 41 C the Francoist state. Sive against It is certain that many of those will be workers correctly demon- sharply strating their willingness for a show down with Francoism by boycott- ing the polls in June. carry on it would be on our backs.

That was it. Take the money or carry on on your owil So Hulett who had ordered them out on strike now ordered them to accept the offer of money to go away, losing their jobs and leaving a single Randolph without the union member. busy The capitalist press ls trying to cover up for the officials by giving the impression that the strikers accepted the offer and the had no choice. This settle- ment is a blow to all hotel workers' struggles and must be exposed for the sellout it is. sell out of this strike has The victory also left the other two THF strikes blacking taking with no isolated place. the At Birmingham of demand of Law is that the victim- adverts ised shop steward, Pat McGuire, is of the compensated to

CALEILL

£4000 If this took place it would be a in for sellout similar to the Randolph in that the strike, now In Its nICH called to for union recog- week has been nition as well reinstatement, as district official not for compensation the Grosvenor At Sheffield at House, the issue is the same. Unless was not had and regional blacking national strike will be instituted then steward isolated and THF will force the strikers accept monetary to all with union compensation, members having lost their jobs.

There is a meeting with manage- ment next Monday. Resolutions for national blacking should be passed had it from branches couldn't use through immediately.