Socialist Press no. 63

BLACK GRUNWICK!

CHALLENGE THE

COURTS

The Tory Party and the right wing National Associa- tion for Freedom are making the ten-month strike against victimisation and for union recognition at Grunwicks the centre of an onslaught on trade union rights. Encouraged by the cowardice of TUC anO Labour leaders they have thrown their full weight behind a vicious- ly reactionary management.

But the working class has surged forward in support of the strikers, spurred on by the hostil- ity to the brutal police attack on Monday's Dicket LaSt Ilass which 84 arrests were made.

ARRESTS

Since then the ranks of the pickets have grown to 1,500 each and total morning arrests now nearly 200. As part of rising working class support, postal blacking has been The reimposed. London District

UPW

has correctly defied grams and instructions to 'work normally? from General Secretary Tom Jackson called on branches to black the sorting of Grunwick's mail. This taken up Cricklewood and Willesden last Wednesday now spread other parts of London-indicating the readiness of workers to defy NAFF-directed court threats well as police brutality For trade union officials the whole affair is an acute embarass- The urunwick strike is a fullscale class battle with middle ground. Either the defeated by the strength of the working class-or will carry leadership responsibility for allowing crushing setback

SOCIAL CONTRACT

This reality exposes the illusion of there being "common interest" between worker and теастопату concept the social contract. This is partly why Labour spokesmen government show tor

SURE

workers movement this

SOCIALIST

PRESS *

Home Secretary Rees struggle Monday, today, made a Parlia mentary speech which Was endorsed Shadow spokesman William Whitelaw and which completely backs up Tory

PICKETS BLAMED

Rees actually blamed pickets, under constant bolice harassment.

the Grunwick, for claiming: "Some people have latched on to this dispute means of as a attacking the police and breaking the law.

NOW - BREAK

Small wonder the Tories were delighted. Meanwhile Employment Secre- Booth was launching a futile LarY "initiative" This dismissed was

THE COALITION!

contempt Grunwick management, but brought APEX Secretary General Grantham to issue a call to cut mass pickets to maximum of 500-a figure Grantham knows to be complete ly inadequate to close the factory.

Two left wing Labour MPs Grantham has sunk nearly last week showed how easy it possible to low get could be to torpedo the reac humiliating bids to end the tionary policies being foisted dispute. Most disgusting of all was his participation last week in a on the working class by the meeting with management set up Callaghan-Steel coalition by NAFF administrative director government. Gouriet. Wise and Audrey Jeffery

PREDICTABLE

Rooker voted Healey's ar alist budget proposals to defeat them Grantham in committee. The effect of these defeats is the by the vicious anti- gate unionist Gouriet and subiected to that many workers earning wages orchestrated predictable below the poverty line will pay barracking the hands of the less income tax (though they will assembled scab workforce-to the still pay tax, even while in many delight of waiting pressmen and cases claiming Family Income "V cameras Supplement). Grantham, 'leader' the But the real importance of this 142,000 strong clerical union, was "lefts' move by the is not the finally chased out of the factory minimal reform that was won. It after a "vote" had been taken.

that, after "left- According to the Day Tele- wingers" have trooped into the graph report, Gouriet went after lobbies time after time to support Party leader Healey's meet public spending cuts, Thatcher on Friday. handouts Control and a host or attack on industry wage not this is true w netner there is no doubt that the Tories, workers, for once two 'left' MPs that the recognising Lovelica stand against laye

LAKE

they be will Callaghan and Healey. CaEs

SOOT

returned to power, are using this

BREAK NEEDED

dispute their base of LO widen anti-union and Wise and provazallud Rooker have said activity. openly they do not want to CONTINUED, Page 11, Col 2.

precipitate an election. but the

FORTNIGHTLY PAPER OF THE

WORKERS SOCIALIST LEAGUE

No. 63 * June 22, 1977 * 10p Police in action on the Grunwick picket line.

fact remains that to carry through any real change of government policy, it is necessary to break the coalition deal with the Liberals.

Liberal leader Steel has now made it clear that the coalition hinges providing for OT leading Liberals in the European Parliament through elections run on proportional representanon. and a Phase Three of incomes policy. Liberals will not support any socialist measures whatever.

Under these conditions a break from the Liberals must take place.

It would mean immediate defeat for Labour in Parliament and an

CICCLOT

WAGE CONTROL

But under the present Parlia- conditions the cannot linger government much longer in any event. Failure to obtain a stringent Phase 3 of wage control could bring it down.

The Labour lefts' must break ftom their craven subservience to Callaghan and Healey. They must launch a campaign throughout the movement to throw out these collaborators, break the coalition and for the Labour Party Conference to adopt a platform of socialist policies on which to fight a General Election.

Fords erupts The Ford Dagenhan plant has exploded. series of disputes about la close th offs threaten to of 22,00 whole plant workers. Workers in the bod! plant at Dagenham hav occupied the factory the gates Hocked stacker backed truck against them to block a movement of material i or out. The frustration whic has led to what the mer describe as 'the dispute t flow end all disputes. from continuous attack by management movu workers around and layin off for any reason imagin able. The main banner ove the demand NO MANNING CUTS a well as lay off pay. After one such lay off month ago on the Ken line in Dagenham (whicl Cortina, Capri produces models) Escort th resurrected thei workers demand for 80% lay-of pay for all disputes-inter nal as well as external. At present payment i only made during externa disputes. On Friday 10 June worker was suspended fo refusing to work his job ir a new sequence, complain ing it was painful. The 7° men on his line in thi Body Plant walked out ir this led to lay-offs i the Assembly Plant witl workers marching around the plant chanting "What do we want? 80%! When do we want it? Now!" Pickets were put on the leading the gates, closure of the Body Plant Then the occupation began. The fact that a few hundred workers have closed the giant Dagenham complex shows the feeling on lay-off pay. This feeling arises directly from the plunging of wages difficulty in living on les than 40-hours pay This dispute must not be allowed to lead into an attack on the right strike in for exchange management 'concessions' Union leaders have toyed with the demand for 80% lay off pay for too long. That must now be fought for. At the same time the the demands of shop stewards-for a 15% wage and a cost increase clause-must forward brought the annual review, due in July

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

ONE YEAR AFTER SOWETO

Page 2 South Demonstrations in marking last year's Africa, slaughter of over 600 black workers, have again produced a violent response from police upholding South Africa's racist regime. In Soweto, scene of last year's massacre, nine people were police when titeo on a large crowd which had been peace- fully commemorating the killings.

Sechaba Montsitsi, president of the Soweto Students Representa- tive Council and a number of others have been arrested in the township.

The following day the police arrested four white students. All of these students being the apartheid regime's General Law Amendment Act, which allows them to be detained for up to 14 days before appearing m Courl.

DEAD

In the Inkabah township outside Port Elizabeth, two black youths dead, and in the

WCIC

SIlU L val manufacturing centre of Uitenhage in the Eastern Cape, seven workers were killed and 23 others wounded.

another 278 people In addition; have been arrested. South African Laua. have rushed to white- • authorities wash the shootings, claiming that those shot dead were drunkenly Iooting bottle and were stores, "tsotsis" (holigans) with „itely no support within the black town- ship. The facts destroy this police myth: in Soweto over 80% of the

IRELAND

The results of the Irish Republic's general election have toppled the national coalition government of Fine Gael and Labour, and have brought back to power Jack Lynch's Fianna Fail. The final state of the parties in the new Dail (parliament) is: Fiana Fine Gael, 43; Fail, seats; 17 and Independents 4. Labour, This gives Lynch overall majority of 20, the biggest ever in the history of the State.

The Irish working class will shed defeat of no tears at this crushing. the Fine Gael/Labour coalition, and will rejoice at the fact that three former ministers have in fact tailed to secure re election.

ARROGANT

These include ex-Minister of Justice, Patrick Cooney (Fine Gael) and ex-Minister and

IOT

Telegraphs, Conor Cruise O'Brien- a former 'left' intellectual, but now oi the ant1-

IOSL

dILUzdIL working class reactionaries in Irish politics. But Treland's workers will hardly rejoice at the return of Fianna Fail.

They fought the election on a mani- festo full of promises reduce inflation, unemoovment and to equal pay for grant women, anti-republican "TEVIeW" laws and to secure a commitment from Britain that it will withdraw from the North of Ireland.

BACKTRACK

But already Lynch has begun to backtrack even these vague and on election pledges. On the last aitsod Lynch Hr • A]E anove, made that *our demand is not rant a demand tor a deciar.

tion to withdraw within a specific black workforce stayed at home on the 16th and 17th of June; the Soweto Traders' Association unan- imously decided to close down on those days also. In the Kabah township Vitenhage a mass riot developed night, causing over rtiday £600,000 worth of damage.

Vorster's government has proved as brutally reactionary as ever the face of this new upsurge by black workers. capable of pumping out tear gas Time is clearly running out for

CELLE

Southern Africa. The South African foreign minister, Pik Botha, made a fellow racist Tan Smith on June 15 and reportedly South Africa by voluntarily "sacri- strategy is doomed to failure: diplo- matUCUYS Africa, Rhodesia, the United States tide of militancy which threatens to engulf all of southern Africa; it can bv no means turn that tide back.

In order to ensure victory over Vorster, African workers reed both a correct revolutionary policy and that Britain will "ultimately" disen- gage of her own volition.

faith in British Such touching attitude imperialism's benevolent to the Irish people is unlikely to faced by the oppression TENSel Catholic workers in the North.

In fact just one week before the Northern Ireland Secre- election, tary Roy Mason announced a batch 'security measures to be oi new enforced there. Lynch These include: longer prison sentences for political offences; an increase in RUC numbers to 6,500 of the police plus greater use reserve; an increase in the comple- of full UDR members from [ucul 1800 to 2,500; and an expansion of

SAS

Mason "CeNI TaCTa informs are already more wesnread nan tre bunic тел There will be no amelioration of Ireland's political long prodiems as Ireland's democratic {centraly, the question of unitying the countr) unfinished remaı South African police the that policy the end of the march was originally to valiy through to a successful conclusion.

planned to include Tsitsi Mashinini one year's in bitam we call lake a posuye teaders oi last step along that road by fighting for Soweto uprising. But shortly before the demonstration took place, the arins to de sent, unacr trade umon control, to Broad Left-Communist Party dom- South African workers. And the same time must inated NUS executive withdrew the demand an end to all politicking in invitation to Mashinini, because of southern Africa by Labour's foreign pressure from the African National Owen, and minister, David Congress (ANC). In aslanderous

WHUSL

press instead for an international alleged: the executive SaLc ICill boycott and blacking of all South that Mashinini had been

ACA QIUUEL.

"denunced Only concrete action of this sort by students overthrow racist can help Botswana" regimes of Vorster and Smith.

2. that he criticised the ANC.

NUS

The demonstration 3. that he had been acting shadily London, during a speaking tour of the USA called to commemorate the Soweto killings attracted 7,000 that he has in support 110 people. The platform of speakers at Soweto. Lynch landslide tasks only these was Noel Browne who stood these in the context of a Matt accomplished in Dublin Artane, and who Dublin socialist, working class stood in revolumon. for which an all-Ireland revolution- Finglas. had Dreanally La beer ary Trotskyist party is necessary Browne heer selected official Concrete steps must now be socialists candidate, but the party's top brass taken by Ireland intervened and overruled the local towards the construction of such a party. The recent election provided branch. Both candidates also called 1977 the of the important opportunity scrapping to such National Wage Agreement, but winning workers over perspective. lamely contined their alternative to a return to free collective bargain- ing. In Limerick East, Joe Harrington of the Movement for a Socialist Republic (Irish section of the USFI) was standing as a candidate of Bottom Dog, a local trade union Details paper. tecroa programme were unavailable as we went to press, but it is clear that he opposition to was standing in Labour's record of betrayal.

It would have theretore been permissible for socialists in Ireland to call for critical support anti-calition independent candidates such as these.

Full details of the results were not at hand at the time of writing, so do not know how these we fared. But with the candidates fruits of Labour collaboration with Cosgrave rine aer now clearly visioie, tuc struggle to ensure that such a coal- The Irish Labour Party fought ition is never again repeated must the election on the basis of a joint now be taken up at once coalition programme with theif senior conservative allies Fine Gael.

WORKERS SOCIALIST

Socialists should therefore have

LEAGUE

demanded an end to this bloc as Public Meeting the minimum precondition for voting Labour.

SPAIN AFTER THE

ELECTIONS

INDEPENDENTS

Thursday 30 June at 7.30 But in certain areas a number of Small Hall, Conway Hall candidates were standine as inden. Red Lion Square endents, on the basis of opposition Speaker: Socialist Press to Labour's alignment with Fine Correspondent recently Gael SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 22 June, 1977 Finally the NUS executive insin- uated that Mashinini either conscioușly or unconsciously acted that could help oniy a way American imperialist interests in Africa! This series of lies, half-truths and distortions must be denounced by Students Union in Britain, motions ol condemnation of pase should Executive for this attack on Stalinist this the Mashinini. policies of the Broad Left are seen to be backed up with calumny methods of also. minority report has been drawn up by Colin Talbot who was on the working which originally party extended the invitation to Mashinini.

ANGOLA

NETO'S RIVAL DEFEATED

On May 27, after a four hour gunbattle, President Neto of Angola successfully defeated a coup d'etat led by Minister of the his former Interior, Commander Neto Alves. The President's object now seems to be to politically behead small but significant Angolan the working class and resolve a crisis which has been inevitable since the MPLA took power in 1975. In 1974, faced with the attacks of right wing the workers gangs, Luanda shanty towns set up.

trom self defence militias defend their houses. With their support the MPLA "Libera- defeated the reactionary tion" of FNLA and armies the UNITA in the battle of Luanda, the turning point of the civil war.

After victory, the

MPLA,

petit-bourgeois movement ruling a country in which the economy was shattered by the civil wat, had neither the will nor the immediate ability to provide the material benefits which the working expected. from the •"revolution" of 1975 Neto In the summer attempted 'to dissolve the militias.

They refused to give up their arms; battalions refused to leave Luanda march the front, and the to to MPLA backed down. It was then that Neto Alves, the only

MPLA

leader born in shanty towns became champion of "popular power". opposed any he always attempt to direct the indignation of the masses towards independent action against the MPLA. Instead he set out to raise him- within the leadership of self the movement, concentrating his tire on the social and racial origıns of individuals in Neto's cabinet.

Popular power was not the only card Älves used to advance himself.

He was also known to be "Moscow's man in Luanda" If the MPLA bureaucracy was to defend itself against his attacks and against the working class they had Russian pursuade bureau. cracy to disown him. In October 1976 President Neto went to Moscow. A few days after he returned Alves was dropped the the trom DOn bucau ol MPLA and his supporters in the secret police were purged.

On 21 May he was expelled from MPL ACent that mint Ales had te Central Committee show the bureaucracy the extent of support if he nis popwar was force them to take him back into the fold. It was pure self interesi that brought him lead his radio occupy

JUDODELE S

SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 22 June, 1977

INDIA

India's ruling Janata Party has won a landslide victory in the State Assembly elections held from June 10 to June 14.

Almost all of the 10 states and 2 union territories which had been electing new legislative assemblies In the states of Rajasthan, Himachal, Haryana, Madhya, Orissa, Pradesh, and as well as in the New Delhi Union Territory, Janata candidates won more than two-thirds of the seats. which was J.P. Bihar Narayan's original base for agitation against the Congress Party, and in Uttar Pradesh-Mrs. Gandhi's home slalt-Jalala won absolue maol ities. In addition, they are to form a government in the Punjab with Sikh Dal their allies, the Akali Party. These victories represent a crush- ing defeat for the Congress Party, like paving the way for a and look Janata the victory August presidential elections. Significantly, however, Janata failed to win a number of states. West Bengal indicate that the Communist Party will of India-Marxist

(CPI-M)

return power there, after five to years of Congress rule. As we went to press; y1 results had been declared, giving the

CPI-M

13 and Janata Congress had seats. al unal stage won only one seat, had Naxalite (Maoist) who fought the election from jail. India's problems are far from resolved by these election results. The maintenance of the Act-which Security was used by Gandhi to jail over 36,000 people during the 19 month "emergency" -has not yet been repealed, despite Janata's electoral promises.

POLITICAL PRISONERS

In addition, some 1500 political prisoners are still in jail, including 60 Naxalites. Janata must now be forced to release immediately all political and to all reactionary legislation.

The evidence of rising militancy India's working within class since Ghandi's fall indicates the reason for Janata's reluctance repeal these measures. India's Economically, workers. and peasants are facing an inflation rate of 12% and a 6% fall in food- grain production from 121 million tonnes to 111 million tonnes-a could spark off further which in the price rises of basic food- On 2 June 1967, during a demonstration called to against West German protest Iran's fascist dictator- aid to Benno Ohnesorg ship, was killed by a policeman's bullet.

The judge who presided over followed the investigation that policeman had declared that the "acted in self defence", although dozens of witnesses testified to the contrary. in the case of the Kevin Gateley cover up lwo yeats ago, serves any- doubt of the links one stil between the state and its agents.

NOT FORGOTTEN

That the murder of Unnesorg has not been forgotten was proved beginning month L01S when both in commemoration and to protest against the of political repres- growing sion, an 8000-strong demonstra- tion was held in West Berlin.

The repression most overtly itself mounting under the so-called prosecutions 'Anti-radical Laws' designed to 'elements hostile the prevent to

NEW DEFEATS FOR

GANDHI'S PARTY

Gandni Government The Janata has that will given vague promises It eradicate "destitution" within decade but so far nave Ianed to indicate precisely how they intend The excuse given-that trying to "restabilise" the county the caused upheaval by Gandhi's dictatorial rule-is small comfort to those millions for whom "destitution" is a very grim reality, and for whom "restabilisation" can only further round impoverishment and oppression.

PAKISTAN

Prime Minister, Pakistan's Bhutto, and the opposition Pakistan National Alliance

(PNA)

have announced that an agreement date and arrangements for general details been but it is expected that announced, will take place after the religious observances of Ramadan The ma-september. month old political crisis is far from however, with the

PNA

over, claiming that the signifies that the March 7 general election had been rigged as alleged.

MOZAMBIQUE

Fresh incursions by Rhodesian forces has led to sustained fighting between Frelimo and the Rhodesian army, according to state- ments released last week in Manuto.

Smith's invaded the troops Mussorize district of Manica and

W. GERMANY

FROM A CORRESPONDENT IN WEST BERLIN

the Civil Service. lactors indicate "hostile elements' such are: membership of left wing parties sharing their ideas; contacts personal (i.e. flat-sharing) with

BUSDOLES.

participation in demonstrations protesting against aspects of govern- ment policy. Brandt Although this law has been built into the German Constitution since Bismark unitied the designs only became apparent 1972 when Brandt's wannaly government authorised the states of

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

USA

concluded The recently 25th United Auto Workers Constitutional Con- National vention in Los Angeles was a dollar six-million staged extravaganza. Woodcock, handing the new UAW president, power to Douglas Frazer, sought to suppress of his recent contract all criticism sell-out and his open collusion with crush and defeat management lu the wave of wildcat strikes sweeping the industry. Ten Fleetwood auto-workers of Local 15, who were unjustly fired for leading a wildcat strike to defend their suspended local circulated petitions among leaders, the delegates to gain a hearing of their case before this convention.

They were simply ruled out of order" told problem to the Executive Commit- tee in typical bureaucratic dispatch.

Hand picked read, calling for a "full employment economy" by supporting the bill and Humphrey-Hawkins "National Health Kennedy's Care Both passed unanimously, Plan." placing full confidence in the Democratic Party-despite Carter's

IN BRIEF

have caused heavy apparently damage in the Espungabera area to the south. Reports from Radio Mozambique however, reveal that Smith's racists have taken a pasting near the town of Machafem.

THAILAND

detained after toes lage mdeary after military savage coup d'etat of October 1976 began in camera on June 17. All of the students, who include Saengprathum-secretary Thai students' union-are accused of "plotting State", against and "high treason". If found guilty they could be sentenced to death.

bulk of the students were arrested the wake of the carried by the massacre, military, at Bangkok University last October. as they saw fit. First in Hamburg and then in the rest of West Germany, the Red Hunt was on. In the months that the number of investi- followed, gations into workers' pasts grew to McCarthyite proportions By the start of 1976, there had been over half a million checks. The number of people investigated for loyalty to the constitution' now exceeds 800,000.

UNIONS

from Apart vaguely worded motions of opposition passed at meetings of the OGB (W. German TUC), the trade union rank and file has found itself fighting both the government and their own leader- ships. exceptions is the Among the Gew (Union of school and univer- sity teachers) which has attempted to organise resistance. Bavaria the

GEW

alone, estimates that during the period 1972-77 over 136 of their members were denied jobs political •VIl grounds. Page 3 UAW jamboree

EXCERPTS FROM AN ARTICLE IN 'LABOR NEWS'

- PAPER OF THE SOCIALIST LEAGUE DC (USA).

UAW Convention-complete with balloons.

told this convention, "For the sal opposition to these reforms.

of unity, there should be no oppo President Carter, himself, spoke ition. For the sake of democrac to this assembly on Tuesday, and should the membership not his appointment of announced allowed to vote' Woodcock as the ambassador To the uninitiated who migh People's Republic of China, because he "is a proven labor leader with ar inquire what six million dolla spent on a convention will buy h excellent track record as a negoti.

ator" (for the capitalist class).

must personally witness the the loyalty of th Carter's energy plan ("require parties to buy If this sacrifices from everyone in the delegates. perso country") is a bitter pill for the was to wander into this conventio he would b working class to swallow, because it hall on Wednesday, a circus-like higher impressed by atmo prices, 10 RaDION loss of jobs, in order phere where balloons filled the a higher taxes, to shore up the capitalist class, with and funny looking hats everywhe rebates and increased productivity.

advertised the Frazer team.

UAW conver Delegates of the The political pay-off to Wood- cock shows Carter's need to harness tion paraded around the conver tion hall to the tunes of circi the bureaucracy help

UAW

to carry out these attacks on the auto melon the Team Placardesyin "leadership workers. "Keep "Unity". after aliens for unemployme "illegal Local local team blocke te porithe "Fraz unemployment, and their calling for further attacks on their hypocrisy of democratic rights to jobs, benefits charade belies the seriousness of ti problems facing auto workers wh and political equality face speed-ups and job loss due 1 dangerous chauvinist bid to further plant closures and runaways.

divide workers along national lines forced through without dis. Frazer who supports attacks o undocumented workers along wil chauvinistic "Buy American "Employ campaign American" Through series of skillful helping the capitalist class to divic manoeuvres, the Constitution Com- the working class and defeat unio mittee stopped all resolutions from organising campaigns. Frazer coming to the floor that would give and Woodcock ha allowed General Motors to bull of the ranks resemblance control out of nine new plants over their seven

«MOCHE

the South and six of them are sti union. Frazer and Woodcock in effect unorganised.

WORKERS

SOCIALIST LEAGUE

The Workers Socialist League is a Trotskyist organisation fighting to build a revolutionary leadership in the working class to lead the opposition to the betrayals of both 'left' and right wing mounting Labour and trade union leaders and the Communist Party, as they attempt to enforce wage control, sackings, speed-up and public service cuts. As workers take up the struggle against these policies they are forced by the sheer weight of forces opposing them to confront political questions. 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 demands, which go beyond simply trade union militancy to raise the political questions to workers and prepare the forms of organis- ation and the knowledge necessary for the struggle for socialism.

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

We have done more than any other tendency to fight the introduction of 'workers' participation' in industry. And we have strongly supp- 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 the Labour Party. 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- struct the Trotskyist Fourth International.

So there has been a consistent drive within the WSL to deepen the movement's understanding of the history and the present crisis of the Fourth International as an essential part of our initiative towards its reconstruction.

We urge all readers who agree on the need for revolutionary lead.

WSL and join our fight in the Labour movement.

NAFF - DEFENDERS

TO SCAB

One of the features of scent industrial disputes has jeen the repeated intervention In behalf of the employers by he National Association for Freedom and its administra- ive director John Gouriet.

When the Executive of the of Post ¡nion Workers astructed its members to boycott outh Africa for a week it was the TAFF that soucht and gained a burt injunction against this action.

Similarly NAr- has been ble to hold off for several months he blacking of Grunwicks postal ervices threatening court by iction.

UNIONISATION

In hotel unionisation disputes

NAFF

has ne been especially Linton ictive. It encouraged the Lodge Hotel in Oxford to hold out unionisation by campaign- around the ng of not to the oin a union". established links with Trust Houses Forte very disputes. Its organisation, "Self-help", run by the well known Fascist sympathiser Dowager Lady Birdwood, was responsible for the provocative picket-busting meeting of fascists at the Randolph Hotel which resulted in a massive battle between police and Oxford trade The NAFF threated to obtain an injunction to reduce the picket at THF's 'Night Out' night club Birmingham to four, to halt the forbid the picket and to picketing of other THF establish- •ories to keen grammar schools in wah The first of these advocates an athoritarian Britain Sale applauds razilian and Chilean fascist dictat- rships in removing the "threat to the right of private property" The second is a straightforward tack on the retorms attempted by Chile's President Allende, and sed as propaganda by the Pinochet lictatorship. Robert Moss writes trecuent v For the Institute for the Study of tontlict. The Institute's director, Brian NAFF's Crozier. also writes for The Institute paper. Free Vation. linked with the LA and 1s 1n with the Rhodes- wollent in and South African secret police, well as the experts in all parts of world on *pacification

OF THE RIGHT

APEX leader Grantham. paigns" against urban and rural guerilla armies. with the Police College ts inks exposed in the anti- were recently fascist paper Searchlight.

But of these close links CIA-backed with and reginies, Moss has another string to his bow-as speech writer for Tory leader Margaret Thatcher.

He the notorious anti- penned Soviet Thatcher speech won Lady" the ludicrous title of "Iron from incompetent Kremlin gandists last year. also connected with outright the thinks those responsible for strikes imonsoned for conspir right to picket acy Liverpool Health Area Authority have announced £1 their intention to save million by 500-700 axeing jobs. While they claim this will be done by "non-replacement" the out sack- authority does not ings. time it has been revealed that Mill Road Maternity Hospital is to close in July, with patients transferred to Broadgreen Hospital-though the upgrading of facilities there will not begin until after the transier has taken place.

CLOSURE

wards are scheduled for Many closure along with the accident at the Southern Hos pital, with overall cuts in spending facilities, overtime work on special and on-call payments. union response been half-hearted and leadets confined protest gestles- lobbying AHA meetings fruitlessly and the Secretary of State, lament- ing the plunging standard of health care in the area. This despite obvious response to any prospect of a fight against these cuts. A NUPE public As union leaders cave in to injunctions UPW leader Jackson It consists mostly of the self- NAFF also the potential of organising the self- manifesto refers to them as ditch core of resistance to the excesses of bureaucracy and trade union bosses." se not Party, which has set out to cultivate

FRONT BENCH

But the links are more still. Seven Tory MPs, including two feature among NAFF's council. Most prom-

500 HOSPITAL JOBS TO GO

Assistant addressed by meeting General Secretary Bernard Dix was attended by 500 people. motion demanding AHA reveal its full long and short term plans to a committee of trade unionists starting point IoI at that passed Bernard Dix Police attack mass picket at Randolph Hotel These Tories sit comfortably same policies as obviously fascist groups such as the National Front.

with their big business colleagues Frank Taylor (of including

SOPHISTICATED

Taylor Woodrow), Lord de L'Isl (Chairman of Phoenix Assurance), 'Hugh Astor (of Hambro's Bank) But it is far more sophisticated Sir Paul Chambers (former in the tactics it uses through the and chairman of ICI). and the media and in the it influences large sections of

SOCIAL DEMOCRAT

way the right wing of the Tory Party.

monetary resources are But these extreme right wing clearly immense and it is fast are only too pleased to elements becoming the most mobile and extend freedom in the columns of organised expression of the extreme their paper, Free Nation, to 'social right wing sections of the ruling democrats' Dr. Stephen such as Haseler of the Social Democratic Without organisation, Alliance. present The attitude of such a grouping forces needed through as NAFF to trade unions is predic programme table. Its wrath particular working class opposition.

reserved for the closed shop, and it has assisted several groups of anti-

APPARENT STRENGTH

unionists resist closed shop agreeincals Its strength at apparent Its members interlink with Aims moment on unwilling- of Industry, the organisation which ness trade union officials-at blacklist of runs a comprehensive local or national level to defy its left-wing militants and is financed injunctions and its by right wing industrial giants such organ- ised scabs. as GKN. Given firm and principled leader- Aims of Industry in turn ship, the working class could sweep closely linked with True-Mid, the notorious right willg and its tame courts on every the engineering union where occasion. 3,000 members are said to contri- bute fl a month towards ensuring the election of right wing officials.

OPPOSITE

NAFF's attitude to the right to of the join a union course its view of the right opposite 'not to belong". It has consistently helped employers in their attempt

VICTINE

join and establish trade unions.

It often tries to gain favour with scab workers by going on at length about the excesses of the bureau- cratic trade union bosses But it is well to remember that its greatest fury unleashed at those who genuinely defy the union bureaucracy for trade union NAFF Administrative Director postal principles Gouriet: links with fascists and CIA: workers at Cricklewood. of the NAFF has many I ne

BACK-PAY

BATTLE

meeting. workers at the Ancillary But unless this is implemented, used to press London Hospital in London's and the information ahead strike action to to all-out East End have banned over- of these cuts; amount

SLUT

time and are working to rule verbal protest will halt the govern- dispute which could ment's cuts slashing health care in in Liverpool. spread nationally. Since 1964, hospital authorities

EGA

the country throughout cheated their employees out of pay which they were entitled

IOT

holidays and sickness.

REPRIEVE

Instead of following a national agreement and calculating holiday and sick pay on the basic rates plus regular overtinte, the authoritics Fifty

EGA

supporters have paid out only the basic rates.

attended a meeting of Camden Now that they have been found out, the AHAs are offering to pay and Islington AHA last week the money they owe at the historic discover the latest date to tOT ycal proposed for the closure of question since 1964! their hospital. Pointing out that rates in 1964 were 20p an hour and that 13 years Instead motion they heard a calling for an immediate transfer inflation has made such amounts of patients out of the worthless, union members are hospita amended read that that the money they are a recon- insisting owed should be paid at 1977 rates mendation be made to the secre.

of State that the transfer With low hospital tary the pald should take place (a formality) and workers frustrated as anyone as given his approval in principle, that over the way in which their wages

CHCS

the local authorities, and have been held down by the Socia!

unions should be consulted.

Contract. this claim over back par Meanwhile the occupation of the =ar represents one wat hospita continues. express their anger.

SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 22 June, 1977

UNION DE

CENTRO

DEMOCRATCO

SPAIN'S

GREAT

ELECTION

FRAUD

A voter burst into tears in a Madrid polling station last Wednesday when told that she could not vote for Franco.

She cried too soon; because the "results" of the suarez elections on June 15 were almost precisely what they were always intended to be-a victory for Francoism. what every ATeT virtually spokesman of the world capitalist class has labelled "Spain's first free elections for 41 years" it 15 "reform- virtually certain that the ed" Francoist Union of the Demo• cratic Centre (the electoral alliance led by Suarez which has 168 out of 350 seats in the new Congress and about 106 of the 207 elected seats.

in the senate) will form a goyern- ment alone. And every minister in it is likely either ex-Minister of to be an Franco or of •ex-loval DEl YOLEL Franco in some lesser post.

Could be that the Spanish 1t elected masses have freely "reformed" version of the dictator- ship which has oppressed them for the last 40 years? the

HOT

answer is emphatically no.

For thing, the Spanish verv far trom iree. in the very limited sense in evell which any bourgeois elections can be free. The designation of the constit- uencies less nave representation with provinces populations workmg than to others. Barcelona, for instance, where bourgeois workers' and Catalan nationalist parties could prevented trom getting huge

PSOEL

PSP

This is the first part of June elections by a special 'Socialist Press' correspondent in Spain. The second part, in our next issue, will examine in detail the campaigns of the reformist and Stalin- ist parties and those of the parties to their left, including the electoral alliance supported by the Revolutionary Commun- ist League, (LCR), Span- ish sympathising section of the 'United' Secretar- iat of the Fourth Inter- national. The second part of this article will also assess the campaign for the boycott of the elec- tion. majority of the seats, stration of disfranchised citizens sends one representative to parliament took place outside one polling every 87,000 voters. station. The state-controlled and But backward rural Avila, where totally censored television, needless Suarez took all the seats needs only 43,000 voters to elect one member.

ubiquitous forms The ruling class had forgotten electoral fraud. nolly or tie two lorins or mrado Instead it spewed out an endless through which it rigged all elections series of vacuous self-congratula- "reports" from the provinces,

4VEY

One of these is called caciquismo the BBC, Edward Heath and others by landowners, PreSSUTE explaining how the capitalists their and priests on passed without incident and were tenants, workers and congregation).

everywhere clean and authentic- Even Spain's cauțious bourgeois ally democratic. still liable to arbitrary state revealed Censorship, of this during the cam- paign, including inevitably priests who proclaimed voting Communist to be a "mortal sin".

GUNS AND CLUBS

And the supporters of Manuel Fraga's unashamedly Francoist Popular Alliance (which 16 seats in the Congress) made a habit of doing their "campaigning" armed with guns and clubs: The second traditional form of fraud known as pucherazo, oI 1S stuffing the ballot boxes.

This practice was particularly easy in this election since the voting procedure for the Congress involved CP leader Carrillo voting simply putting of the party Wilt lists, unmarked the box. areas workers' one parties were not able to keep observers in all the polling stations were 38,000 in (of which there the whole country) nothing was wach, as long as they did not ca lists in the interests of the Francoist and other bourgeois parties the lists of the In audion. workers parties often "disappeared" from polling stations. In Madrid alone on polling dav there were 10.000 complaints to the electoral authorities (mostly state-appointed magistrates and other officials) about irregularities of this kind.

ABSTENTIONS

In many places numerous names had disappeared lists and this especially seemed to PSOE leader Gonzalez have happened to those who had the referendum of During 12 hours of concentrated abstanicu December 15. TV propaganda about the 'fairness' Since it was the left, and even of the elections, however, no results half-heartedly the Communist and wally. Socialist Parties, which had called Only continuous statements that abstention then. this form of the votes counted so lar were not 1OH "eliminating voters almost sufficient to make an assessment. In was henefit the Francoists. fact it was evidently a tense and A Communist Party spokesman nervous , Interior Minister Martin. estimated that 200,000 potential Villa who finally-12 hours after had been disfranchised the time

VOLCIS

Disfranchised voters protest Democratic Centre had "won".

The pretext he gave for the delay was the "complicated" counting system, though there is no doubt that the real problem was fending off the complaints and making sure that the "recounts" produced the right results.

Because of their nature, there was never a serious possiblity tha hese elections could have producer a majority for the workers' parties. And the reformists and Stalinists went into them in the full know- ledge that that was true and as part of effort head off the to demands of a growing number of workers for a decisive and therefore of revolutionary overthrow Francoism.

APPEARANCE

formation of the surface of Spanish was candidacies (even those supported by illegal parties). Spain were plastered with posters for a boycott, the police permitted workers unemployed young people paid up The walls of Madrid's under- ground stations in places thick ten with •astered posters election propaganda. And the streets were inches deep in leaflets or after heavy rain in a thick mulch of unreadable propaganda.

in the big cities cars constant v toured the streets asking for votes OI, case workers' parties, playing the Internationale.

The most striking and important feature of the campaign was the The Democratic Centre meetings. held very few and most of those of the Popular Alliance (AP) took discreetly in cinemas with entry rigorously controlled by AP thugs. But the workers' parties held vast rallies in the open air or in sports stadiums or bull-rings.

An attendance of 3,000 at these Page 5 numerous meetings of more than CP's 10,000 the "fiesta' Madrid the Sunday outside on polling day attracted 300,000 The record, however, goes to the left Catalonian (Esquerra de Catalunya), an alliance nominally to the left of the CP and led by the Labour Party (Partido de Trabajo) which in Barcelona on the last night of the campaign had an attendance of 400,000. the Again only meetings forbidden were those advocating a boycott. The leaders of the Socialist and Communist Parties have gone to extreme lengths to make sure thai this massive commitment of the change channelled exclusively through accepted what they have publicly to be free democratic elections.

But the reformist and Stalinist leaders could not prevent, even in their own meetings, outbursts of anger by workers against the monarchy and its repressive law enforcement apparatus.

NO SOLUTION

of The workers. and Hilabora students showed by their behaviour that they were not expecting their problems to be solved by elections.

frequently And they shouted their own solutions which were presented from the platform. More than that, the reformist Stalinist leaders have by no and means had complete success in their efforts electoral truce on the working class.

In the provinces of Euskadi in the of the particuiar, period election campaign has been one of increasing wage struggle.

2 when began June 1t virtually all the 33,000 construc- tion workers in the province of (which Viscaya Bilbao) defied the reformists and Stalinists who would like to become their leaders and went on strike for big increases in pay and a long series of other demands which the bosses contemptously dismissed as had impossible. construction workers were The followed by scaffolding erectors then last bakery and wack by workers,

JOINT MEETING

The day after the election results all three groups took the unprece- of holding step a joint assembly and demonstration.

A week before the election the Alaya province also came out on strike. Two days before polling day, 22 of them were arrested and six detained in custody An almost instantaneous demon- statione the Palace din Justicers Palace forced the fearful authorities to release them immediately. Not one this word appeared capitalist press. It is nevertheless now a much weakened Francoism which rules Spain. The limited liberties of propaganda and assembly granted for the campaign will not be easy The once tightly integrated sectors of Francoism, , the army and police, the church hierarchy and the political leadership have become unhinged from eachother.

It is the struggle of the working class and the oppressed national- ities which has obliged the Francoist political leaders to attempt to legitimise their rule through constructing an appearance of democracy. Only in that way have they up managed, with the help of the reformist and Stalinist leaders, to openly revolutionary avert struggle for power by the working class and at the same time to hold back those sectors of Francoisn who see the only way out for the as the reimposition of the dictatorship through a military coup. The elections may produce brief respite for Suarez but they have not in any way resolved these contradictions. There is no doubt that the acceptance of the tesult hardline Francoists is a conditional acceptance. After the elections the facing the Spanish workers LaNK movement is in essence the same as it was before-the forcible over- throw of Francoism.

BETRAYALS THAT

OPENED DOOR FOR

Page 6

HITLER

The magnitude of the feat inflicted on the German Hitler's class by orking zure of power can perhaps st be gauged by taking stock the organisations of the labour movement rman for to 1933. The Social Democratic Party D) had, at the time, over one lion members, and published o daily papers, 18 weeklies and = monthly theoretical journal.

Trade Union Fed- The German ition (ADGB), which was closely to the

SPD

published merous journals of its own and limed a membership of some five Ilion. Communist Party of

(KPD),

was then the Communist gest party the the sole Ternational, with seption of the Soviet party, and end of 1932 had a member- the ip of 350,000.

6 MILLION MEMBERS

It published almost a score of weeklies and papers, own theoretical journal. And at peak, its own Red Trade Union

(RGO)

could claim 0,000 members.

SPD

between the KPD, trade union there were, allowing the inevitable overlapping, At members. ction time the two groups could axer an additional six lo sayei illion votes. "free" Indeed, in the last Weimar Germany- of of November 1932-they A common sighi in Germany at the time, soldiers and workers in discussion.

together polled 1.5 million votes more than the Nazis. months of those Yet within SPD and the elections both the KPD were outlawed; their member- was attacked and imprisonea.

4110 and the trade union movement they controlled had the German crushed, leaving working class atomised face of the defenceless the onslaughts of big business.

MAJOR BLOW

The reasons for this truly cata- strophic defeat can only be tound analysis the objective an conditions prevailing in Germany from World War I onwards, and in criminaily analysis of the mistaken policies pursued by both the SPD and the KPD during the same period. first major blow inflicted The on the German working class by its own leadership was on August 1914, when, in clear violation of its declared policy, the SPD decided to capitalism's war support German effort by voting for war credits in the Reichstag (parliament).

14 SPD

led by Karl deputies, Liebknecht, opposed this policy in

SPD

the Reichstag traction, although in the actual Reichstag they maintained party debate discipline and voted for war credits.

But Liebknecht's opposition per- sisted, and it was this which paved for the formation of the une way KPD in early 1919. The establishment of the Com- munist Party occurred too late, the bout- prevent to lowerei. the revol- from crushing ution which broke out in Germany at the end of 1918.

SECOND IN OUR SERIES 'HOW FASCISTS TOOK

STATE POWER: BY JIM SHORT.

an attempted right wing coup led by the General von reactionary

KPD

Luttwitz. saw "March Action"-an inspired absurdly adventurist attempt to which almost led to destruction; their that same year shock the saw

L00OS.

Order Frater nOien as erve Service for (1.e. Order, later Storm Troops-Sturm Abteilung, or SA) attack workers meetings; and in 1922 the Weimar's foreign minister, Rattenau, was assassinated.

UNHOLY ALLIANCE

for such The main reasons two-fold. In the instability were first place, the Weimar coalition unholy alliance was born of al social democracy and between the bourgeoisie against the revol- ution of 1918. As early as 1919, the bourgeois- ie were no longer in favour of the alliance, since a revolutionary -stem ming New Yorkers throng Wall Street of the proletarlal -was mell during the stock market collapse, longer visibly present. 1929. looKing to ditch oise SPD and make bourgeoisie Under the influence of events in a new alliance with more right wing working class forces. Russia, the German Secondly, the Weimar Coalition overthrew the Hohenzollern was the product of a cramped and established monarchy and revolution, frustrated republic in its place. against absolute monarchy, and as republic had its But such was inherently unstable, sin ce head SPD government led by a socialist revolution was only the right winger Ebert-a govern- could the was the which properly whose sole. aim Solve problems posed by Germany's late and stifling of the revolution arrival on the historical scene.

within the straight- of bourgeois property jacket

REPARATIONS

relations. From the very outset, Ebert- It was this lateness which had in aided by other SPD leaders, Noske the fact propelled Germany Scheidemann-actively and 1914-18 imperialist war, in a do-or- with the German high colluded die effort to secure a share of the putting down the command In world market for its own greedy revolution. bourgeoisie. SPD intervention in the soldiers' in the war had merely Defeat and workers' councils which sprang exacerbated those difficulties, for ensured at the end of 1910. in the treaty of Versailles of 1919, that the German revolution would fleeced countries Line

VICOTIOUS

and edded at follow tary tod Germany in an attempt to keep her would follow road perpetually subservient to them.

mapped out by tie pievious year, At the start of 1923 the French by the Bolsheviks in Russia.

bourgeoisie ordered its troops into the industrial Ruhr area of

ELECTIONS

Germany had Germany, Decause the payment of defaulted on lack of revolutionary The reparations stipulated at Versailles Germany at this stage party The entire country was suddenly meant that the SPD's task was so plunged savage crisis: into First and the much: easier, Congress of Soldiers' and Workers' Councils, held votes to ember-December was 50 decided 400 votes establish a parliamentary regime in Germany. It wasn't until two weeks after this Congress that the first decisive steps were taken Towards formation of the Communist Party.

This development was thrown from the SPD-backed Freikorps murdered Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxem- urg on January 15, 1919 The elections for the Constit vent Assembly which followed gave the SPD and the USPD (the Indep- Democrats, led by endent social Kautsky) 45.5% of the vote. These groups then formed a "centre-left" coalition with the German Demo- cratic Party and the Catholic Centre Party.

KAPP PUTSCH

This was known as the Weimar Coalition, and it was to rule Weimar Germany for the first troubled years of its history. But even though the bourgeoisie had to defeat the revol- managed unon, les probiels over. 1920 saw the Kapp putsch- with senior officers of the Bavariar troops.

produced intlation

LUJIAWGY

hundreds of bankruptcies; massive strikes in the Ruhr and other indus- political provoked •trial centres frenzy and complete loss of confidence in the government.

The Nazis and other ultra right wing forces grew rapidly, but among theoried or lane Kal support developed as a force capable of resolving the crisis through revolutionary means.

By the autumn of 1923 a truly had revolutionary situation could have developed which brought the KPD to power.

But the

KPD

leadership now the supervision of a Comin under tern led by Stalin, Zinoviey and Co hesitated, vacillated and finally for the the opportunity seizure of power. passed; crisis in Germany and with American aid the German government managed to restabilize and therewith their own political authority.

STABILITY

The years 1924-29 the were years of greatest political stability Plans Weimar Republic. the American capitalism drawn up by ensured under Dawes Young that Germany was now thoroughly Minister of Defence Noske (centre! and President Eber: iright of Voske: chat

SOXIALIST

on American rations, and that now desperately intent on long as all was well there, all would super-industrialisation; policies 'be wel in Germany forced colfectivisation and Elections held in May 1928 gave infamous use of the Red Army to the

SPD

29.8% 0f vote, dispossess prosperous peasants until ine compared with 26% in December the Stalinist then pampered 1924. bureaucracy. The Communist vote rose from Rut the left turn internationalv 9% to 10.6%, while that of the rationale was given Nazi's fell from 3% to 2.6%.

an all lal dad write d The SPD was again the largest 1924, in which he argued that: bourgeoisie's "Fascism in the keichstag. and atter the four years out of office was called fighting organisation that relies on annon the active support of Social Demo- Social Democracy is objec- tively the moderate wing of fascism organisations do went negate, but supplement each other.

twins are not antipodes, They they are 1919, had in (DVP) in Stalin, Works, Vol 6, p. 294.

the Great The of this position was

COAC

Coalition. that the policy of the united front, the Fourth Congress elaborarea by Muller Chancellor, and became of the Comintern was completely for the mistaken. next 21 months. Since Social Democracy was fateful merely fascism in disguise, Com- could undertake no joint work with it to defeat "undisguised fascism"-i.e. Hitler and the Nazis.

"third period".

UNITED FRONT

which in 1927 had seen the by local of Occasional actions instigation ana lne groups of the KPD and SPD could benited front from below% but it carried out, (this ranks, hopelessly completely inadmissable for The "first the

KPD

leadership capitalist approach

CISN

hạd, the SPD leadershio with a view to upsurge national joint action. this capitalist contradistinction lasting from rubbish, Trotsky for the called consistent application of the united This "second period, it was now ordained, had given way to another front tactic, pouting out that the period-the "third period', in which basis for joint actions did exist.

capitalist crises and but Fascism, he argued, meant the destruction of all class proletarian revolutions were to de working expected. organisations-regardless of whether they were controlled by Social

'THIRD PERIOD'

Democrats or Communists. And whereas the 'second period' Fascism's historic role consisted had been one of right wing oppor- not just in destroying the vanguard tunism in which Social Democrats of the working class, the Commun- were uncritically wooed (as in the ist Party, but in fragmenting and Anglo-Russian Committee of 1925- atomizing the class itset. holding 27), the 'third period' was now it in a state of forced disunity, and allowing big-business to jack up the deemed that the Social rate of exploitation unhindered.

WHICH

Democrats had no place in the And to do that, fascism had to workers' movement, and were in destroy the defensive organisations of the working class as well, namely reality a mere wing of tascism- "social fascists" its trade unions. This violent swing to the left was Social Democracy, he pointed in fact dictated by these out, résted on these organisations as not much as did the Communists.

feeble theoretical considerations, but by material developments Fascism power would be within the Soviet itself, Social Union obliged destrov where Stalin in a belated, bureau- Democracy also-despite the fact

SPD

Zig-zag of economic policy, that were Hitler with military leaders in the early 1920s.

completely subservient to the German bourgeoisie. To implement the united front policy did not mean that the KPD's criticisms of SPD policy should On the contrary, the United Front meant making those criticisms more by elective exposing in practice the role played SPD in paving the way for Lne a Nazi victory. 'March separately, together"-that how Trotsky was conceived of the United Front.

And, added, joint practical he actions would not only crush the tascist movement, could the balance of decisively change Communists, forces towards the thereby raising the possibility of The SPD armed wing, the Reichsbanner._ their striking out on the road of proletarian revolution. His pleas for the implementation of such policies met with little or ed as a tet social- He himself no response, wasnounced fascist" whose aim was the destruc- tion of the KPD and the overthrow of the Soviet Union. The grim reality, unfortunately, is that it was Stalin's policy which led to the annihilation of the KPD, and which left the USSR almost completely defenceless when Hitler invaded it in August 1941.

crisis of 1929 economic tIEW vermany waLn

LILU

instability. By 1930 unemployment had reached the 3 million mark; by 1931, million were out of and ás desperate Americar WOrk capitalists clawed back the loans they had made during 1924-28, big banks failed and small businesses NoI political any

KPD

equilibrium membership significantiy-despite its increased of the suicidal tactics splitting unions pursuit of its "social fascist" line.

UNPRECEDENTED

But more alarmingly the fascist began to grow on an With unprecedented scale financial support from big business the Nazi's armed wine-[ne DA- grew until they numbered 100,000 by the end of 1930. face of the economic crisis the Great Coalition proved not so great, and Muller's cabinet resigned in March 1930 it was to de ine last Cabinet to rest on a parliamentary majority. The monarchist general Hindenburg, then who was President of the Republic, intervened and appointed Heinrich Bruning Centre Party the Chancellor with instructions form right wing government. Bruning was unable to get the support of majority in the Reichstag and so decided to rule by "emergency decree". device

SPD

which the had introduced into the constitution to use against others, but which they now found directed unexpectedly against themselves.

REJECTED

In July, Bruning's emergency decrees relating to the budget were and this rejected. Hindenburg dissolved the Reichstag and ordered elections Ior September 1930. 1110

JESUILD

UNg by 6%, while the KPD vote rose by an impressive 40%-although their of the combined percentage total vote fell from 40.4% 1928 to 37.6% in 1930. But the outstanding change was the enormous increase in the Nazi 700%), from over vote (by some 800,000 milion in 1930. Clearly the fascists votes 1928 to attracting considerable were port, strategy

CONTROL

defeat them was now more urgent than ever. But astonishingly, the KPD felt able to call the election a victory for the Communists and the "begin- ning of the end" for the Nazis. The endorsed Comintern completely this judgement. Frightened by the Nazi upsurge in the September elections, the SPD took a further step on the road to their own destruction by deciding 18 1930, to October

OTE

the : Bruning government as "a lesser evil" This decision meant Bruning was to hold the Chancellor- for further ship twenty-six months, and although all his Cabinets go Yell "toleration"

SPD

ments, that many of his measures were put into effect. Stalin Stah ise sues, deman ed cheny designed chiefly stabilise the at the expense of the working class were highly unpopular. And this unpopularity was seized upon by the Nazis, who were attracting support from big business and who were daily becoming more their attacks audacious working class opponents. 1930 ended with the fascists cock-a-hoop at their el priora and with the working class in increasing disarray-the

KPD

blithely disregarding the realities the

SPD

preaching restraint and "non-provo cation". of Clearly, any continuation such policies would allow the Nazis stroll to power without the slightest resistance from the work- ing class. At the end of 1930 no one could imagine that this most pessimistic all prognoses would turn out the truth than the hare-brained schemes of the

KPD

and SPD put together.

CONDITIONS IN SOWETO

Page 8 "A Window on Soweto" by Joyce Sikakane, This book gives a straight- Forward autobiographical Account of life in the black township of Soweto-an account which cannot fail to reveal the exploitation, which, although exists in any capitalist society, is so blatant and extreme in South Africa.

Sikakane briefly outlines the roots of the apartheid system and rue pass laws-the purpose of which is made clear by a statement made by the Afrikaner Nationalist Party hen it came to power in 1948:

TEMPORARY

"All the Bantu have their permanent homes in the reserves and their entry into other areas and ato the urban centres merely for on micro nature and She effectively describes the conditions which black workers lave to face as a result of apartheld ind economic exploitation.

As an unmarried mother herself, describes the double Sikakane oppression which workers bear South Africa. ince the average wage is too low even feed. family, married women have to work-under even morse conditions than the men.

SHUNTED

Without effective means of birth pontrol, only care Their Cn110 acilities of shunting consist Children around the town grannies'-untrained childminders.

available children It none spend the day locked in a room

LETTER

«Paisley gains from Loyalist strike" leading the In tant workers out on strike yet did well in leading them, a few days bourgeois pundits had predicted for Paisley and Baird "that the strikes This clearly did not take place, is hardly rebutted by turn- raisier - Hosing to co tradictory

REVIEWS

104, Newgate St., London EC1. 80p. Reviewed by Ann Evans with some scraps of food, and a potty. However, Sikakane is confused in the demands she puts forward.

Instead of seeing the importance of demanding improved working conditions and child-care facilities from their double oppression, she 'normal family life'-in other words men, so that improved wages for don't have go out to and can fulfil their 'natural' of mother and Iole labourer. This shows one way in which, this although book useful description of the apartheid system It does not present it in terms of a class analysis, and offers no answers to the question of how the struggle of the black working class can be strengthened. Political organisations such as the African National Congress and the South African Students Organ- Contradictions in Paisley's stand ing their opinions upside down.

Paisley Just because they say lost strike it does heavily in the not therefore follow reality in if that. he actually gained, this done with retrospective pointing to the locat elec- wiscons tion results as proof of that gain.

EXPLICABLE

If we look at the class alliance that composes loyalism, the industrial failure electoral of Paisley becomes success explicable For Paisley, advancing the same programme in both cases was in fact pursuing two contradictory strategies In the strike clearly was challenging British imperialism and the logic of such a challenge could only declaration of an lead o a independent loyalist state cut free from Britain. elections the demands for a restored Stormont, greater security and the annihilation of the IRA were also raised but this time within electoral framework that had been set up by Britain and was indeed part of Britain.

It is by this imperial link with Britain that Protestant working the Class Su DUIL 10I secured. But Paisley discovered his to cost the abortive loyalist strike, it is a very conditional support.

RUIN

The shop keepers, and all Paisley's petty-bourgeois support, on the other hand, have been driven the 1WH and published by International Defence and Aid Fund, Schoolchildren in Soweto are account of the uprising of hand "soweto "There is no improvement in the system is removed whole apartheid the sised that the struggle is not merely against a capitalist system, and it should have given some idea of how was begin W110

LOE

readers. Letters for publication should be kept as brief as possible and sent to: Socialist Press, 31, Dartmouth SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 22 June, 1977

APARTHEID

In BRITAI "Apartheid in Britain-an analysis of the Prevention of Terrorism Act", produced by People Against the Prevention of Terrorism Act (P.A.P.T.A.)

Price 25p. Reviewed by Jim Rogers.

specified in the This booklet shows how the other organisation has been banned Prevention of Terrorism Act Parlia-

(PIA)

forced through 1974. by the then ment in Labour government, is in fact the legislated seal of approval police on systematic terror directed against the Irish population in Britain. pube unions or rid im trade unions of Britain. The PTA's specific purpose is to terrorise and crush the intimidate, Irish republican movement and its of case histories of victims of the struggle for a united Ireland free of Illalls deported because he was unable to between the centuries-long struggle for Irish liberation and the struggles deny having once been in the IRA- now erupting among black workers

ACCO NE

way trade union action has success- force used by imperialism to main- tation orders. On the other hand, tain its control is backed up by fascist National Front taking advan- forms of opposition. tage of the Act to play on anti-trish hound Republicans been arrested under the PTA. 1,900 canted our asthmoke c? uals under the act is not sufficient police custody for up to seven days; a supplement to the work of the government ensures police cannot complete their harass- expression of the long-held desire for a free united Ireland."

only to apply to the Home Secre- tary to extend detention for five campaign days more. So far no such request noreman lo has ever been refused expose the Act and its provisions, And if the "suspect" is unlucky to orgamse icanelling ana pickets of police stations wherever arrests take piace unger the flA, ana to regulations enable hold them without charge for up to useful material, though presented in where they cannot find evidence to back up a criminal prosecution, to apply for an order to have a person Terrorism Act (PAPTA)-who carry from the country, The prevented from entering only people safe from such actions are those who can prove they have the campaign by holding a Tribunal lived here for 20 years or who were born in Britain and stayed here all Conway Hall, on Saturday Novem-- their lives. TO „consider The only appeal allowed is to Secretary himself. the Home Lawyers are not permitted. And the charges not revealed the Northern Ireland the group is carry- accused! And if the individual is outside ing useful task. But the Britain time. the Home cookiel would nave been strength-

MUST SIS

Protest against deportation of journalists Agee and Hosenball: 100 Irish people have been deported under a virtual press blackout.

ened by a clear statement demand- Secretary does not even have to tell them they The first are banned. ing the immediate withdrawal of they might know about it would be British troops from Ireland, and by of the heavy hand police and clearly linking this demand immigration officials their with its correct points against the shoulder at a port or airport.

PTA.

This web of repression against And in failing to press the few the rish community is developed Labour lefts' who have opposed even further by political proscrip- the Act to carry through a serious- tion under the Act, as the booklet fight on these issues within the points out: Labour Party and trade unions, "The Home Secretary can now

PAPTA

allow them to get away make an order banning anv organ- will melvial gestures isation which appears to him to be Nevertheless, 25p plus 15p •at p&p still concerned be

LETTONSM

bookiel United Kingdom and recommended, and is available from connected PAPTA, 182, Upper Street. London Northern Ireland attaus..

prompting or encouraging it.

THE STRIKE THAT COULD

HAVE CRUSHED PHASE 2

SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 22 June, 1977 "The Toolmakers Strike and the Fight Against Wage Control" published by the Workers Socialist League, price 25p. Reviewed by John Lister.

WE ARE

NOT

CHALLENGING

THE SOCIAL

CONTRAC•

As TUC and government ental governmental crisis that the leaders the finishing put fell, Labour Phase 3 of wage govertmnent touches to replaced by the present reaction- important controls it is to ary Liberal-Labour parlamentary recall that the situation might coalition. But the leadership of the tool- have been very different.

committee, Three months ago a solid strike boOnLanCO olY thrown forward into the front line of British Leyland's toolmakers, of struggle was not up to the tasks which had paralysed much of demanded of it. Leyland's production and Leyland-backed to the hilt by secured active from support union officials-announced its ulti- sections of workers throughout the matum-demanding the 3,000

AUEW

was sold out by its 'rank strking toolmakers return to work and file' leadership. or face immediate sacking.

The strike, whose main strength The toolroom committee at first was the willingness of the tool- took a correct stand on this, voting makers to ileht emplovers

UHON

ecommend continuation of officials and the government in the the strike, calling for support and struegle to oring their wage rates in from other skilled men inside and all factories up to the highest tool- if beyond British Leyland the pay rates in Leyland, posed sackings were carried out.

the sharpest and strongest challenge But the next dav at the very to the Social Contract. began flowing in point support If this demand, however inade- most strongly, the toolroom com- quate, had been held to and won, it mittee (pressed hard by Longbridge would have driven coach convener, CP-member Derek Robin- Phase 2-and it is horses through son, to surrender completely) opted precisely an intact Phase 2 of wage to make a new approach to manage- control that the TUC are now using ment, and in exchange for meaning- launching pad for a third less verbal concessions by manage- round of rigia controls. ment, called off the strike.

DRAMATIC

HOSTILITY

It is precisely at this point that Despite the eventual sell-out, the the WSL alone shows itself able to toolmakers succeeded in the course analyse correctly the strengths and dramatic weeks in subjec- oI fouc weaknesses that led to this out- ting AUEW leader Hugh Scanlon to Lule. total humiliation, exposing the role The strength

TUC

vically of the entire leadership massive shop floor expressing policemen of wage control, and in hostility within the working class the process creating such a monum- the bureaucratically imposed

BOUND FOR GLORY

"Bound for Glory"-biographical film of folk singer Woody Guthrie, reviewed by Dettie Gormley.

The brutality of the But it also comes through clearly and their hired employers tor examoe im the man wno urees Woody not to compromise on the thugs in breaking the up content of his radio show.

attempts of workers to organ- His face is badly swollen from form unions could ise and the beating he received the have been set in present-day picket line Grunwicks or in the Spanish Guthrie's songs particularly the rousing "I'm Stickin' to the Union" countryside. convey clearly than more words But the struggles depicted in the fighting spirit of that generation "Bound for Glory "are of the fruit DI WOrKeIS. pickers in California in the 1930s.

The backdrop to their fight is of the Depression America. They and beauty "tONAA forced were to abandon their America are breath-takingly photo- homes Texas and Oklahoma, graphed as we see Woody thumbing which slump and dust storms had nits and jumping trains on his way laid waste, and travel west in search West. It contrasts starkly with the dust of the "promised land". bowl conditions of small town ruin But this is not realy a fim of despair does show Texas the squalid misery. the determination of these workers where the pickers live. The "This Land not to be beaten. song is my Land" The refusal to be ground down is portrays in a populist way the idea of everyone, personified generally singer regardless of Woody Guthrie, the subject of the class differences, having the freedom to own the cauntr t11 tri Phase 2 pay policy This hostility produced a wave of strikes in December and through- New Year, centred out the wages and defence of living standards nearly

ILIOLA

avoiding specific reference to Phase The toolmakers, with their foot on the windpipe of Britain's major manufacturers, undoubtedly the best placed of all these sections to press home their achon.

OPEN OPPOSITION

Subsequent actions by Heathrow maintenance engineers steelworks electricians, although in many respects standing on the advances made in the too- room strike, never had the immed- devastating industrial impact of the toolmakers action. .

And the toolmakers' leaders also took open opposition to trade union officials to a new peak with meeting in Birmingham the mass that howled down and humiliated AUEW President Hugh Scanlon, in scenes which endeared the tool- makers to every militant worker in the country. But the toolroom committee never spelled out clear demands on wages. They denied at every oppor- were leading a tunitv that they against the Social Contract- fight a fight from which every section of workers would gain, and which thousands would support. adopt attitude towards it. individualist. with his guitar company. does not the day to day eating up. glamorous' joł

SATO

clear Idea of

SCOTSHETS

important. to "the people" The influenced by front type

CHLEWACHN.

lLOSL y gores and orker a dn the They refused to centre living struggle defence of standards. And this political vague- ness and weakness left sufficient final sell-out-with I00m tor the not a penny gained and Phase 2 left intact. The struggle in this way stands as a crushing indictment of those who claim all that is needed is rank and file militancy "more support" or industrial muscle. The toolroom strike had was stopped in its tracks by lack or principled leader s followed by the Heathrow and Port complelely TelLICU working class "accepted" the Social ments of its leaders, or had been InCIL.

CLU

official leadership, the lead, they responded overwhelming- ly. And. In toolmakers showed they are not a growing militancy of the working conceptions on these questions led struggles, providing 'left' sounding frontone light to decat Pows the and 2 of wage control were toisted on the working class, and points out that the only inițiative aimed at defeating Phase 2 for Democracy in the Labour Move-

PHASE 3 COALITION

government, brought suddenly into teresed the "Prase 3 Colition c- penIua governmental crisis, with Callaghan dragged ound on a lead by Steel bourgeois politicians, it is well to

TEICHOC

toppled the elected Labour govern- That strength-and those same within the workers' movement. The building of a new political leader- ship is still the only way to unleash that strength and open up the fight The booklet, comprising articles with a new introduction stands, at struggle-they are idealised rather than dealing with actual situations.

shown is the relationship between Woody and his wife. her into his trade union organising ald kulbt cxar to mer wy Ilk about loose his job and urges him always with the children and eventually tant period is the history of the been inadequately dealt with and devoteas Page 9

PRESS

GANG

A closed shop in journalism will be the end of the freedom of the Press. How many times have those words been written in the pages of the bourgeois motivated' journalists will use the As a matter of fact the National There is no Trotskyist rule book and members are forced mias lom prevents journalists from question- CaluTenes cal HccuEN fair minded liberal Press, The Times and Bernard Levin-now the fore- most right winger in the union- aeciumg lo destroyed and takes a side swipe at out but still being trodden on by Levin and the like. Highest importance to whom?

as "standard bearer of the Left", gives a short mocking summary of his election address and then moves élection with no idea of where the candidates stand in the political LIdYC tunity today to say how I shall be "it is important for NUJ voters limited use to plump for a single important task of helping a moder- ate candidate to win there is the almost equally important negative one of ensuring the defeat of the Levin goes on to list the five right wingers in a kind of random order and say he will not vote for unions there is not the slightest danger of anyone using the Press to got the drift of Levin's remarks, Bower is just about worth voting for and the others should not be important than keeping the Labour power and Phase 3

ZOVEOICEL H

lation one word of truth emerged in the Sunedic l spoci the Royal Family told me frankly: the pages of the Daily Mirror struggling and still managing to look cheerful for the cameras. Even a girl can do managed not only to be anti-worker and pro-police but also sexist with it. Personally we have decided not to discriminate between male and female police. We think they should

INDUSTRIAL NEWS

Page 10 Phase 3 of wage control is on its way. The clearest guar- antee of this is the way in Murray and Jack which Len Jones are now touring the claiming country that figure will be fixed as a limit in what they describe as an "orderly return to free collec- tive bargaining" so far as Jones has gone to suggest that the preservation of the 12-month rule restricting

WUSSIO

rise might be one year, sufficient such "orderly an return" On this basis he extracted vote from the union's 37-man Executive in support of this be moved al tie mon s Biennial Delegate Conference next month.

FRAUD

But the whole argument is a fraud. Firstly, the enforcing of the 12-month rule in a period of sky- rocketing inflation itself acts as wage control, and a sure fire means of cutting workers' living standards.

Secondly, Jones most with pressing home the concerned principle of conceding wage control. Once trade union bureau- accept that living standards crats fall capitalist should to profits, then talk of how much they should fall becomes a point of fine detail. Workers should the remember way Jones approached the question of ramming home wage controls at the last BDC in July 1975

FLAT RATE

There talk then also was "no figure" being involved limit. Jones assured the conference that to accept his proposal of "flat increases" rate (with specified) was the "only alternative to statutory wage control."

he Any policy, assured delegates, would lead to Burton's are to make yet thousand workers another redundant. The latest sackings shops, in their high street top of the 1,400 comes on redundancies already announced. Officials of USDAW, the shop- union which represents workers' those on the new list have already decided against any fight and are now simply negotiating the redun- though dancy payments, suggested members have early retirement instead. While union official Mr. Flood told "Our people reporters of the appalled at the extent proposals", he ingle policy to defend jobs

DISASTERS

of the An examination even published accounts of the group the few years shows a over past web of operations and a compics chain of financial disasters which of any question

JUD

Burton's worker if the firm remains in private hards. French division. for

TGWU CONFERENCE -

THROW OUT PHASE 3

Healey "massive inflationary spiral unemployment" shred of Jones' argu- Not one ment remains intact. The

IGWU

conference's swallowing of "volun- tary" flat rate limits was followed Chancellor two hours PReT Healey's announcement of rigid state control of wages, which Healey decreed the "flat rate" limit was £6. Jones despite claiming oppose statutory control of wages, defiance of accepted this, and BDC policy, iomed with the Exec- utive to cast the union's 1.9 million votes in favour of the more vicious PHOTO: Labour Weekly Steel-demanding Phase 3.

CLOTHES-SHOP SACKINGS

example, opened up new shops u Bordeaux, Lille and Strasbourg in 1971, amid great management 1977 optimism. By however Burton's had begun rationalising the operation, closing its last small factory in Paris and pruning office stafi.

BOYSWEAR

boyswear chain "Orange Hand" launched in 1970-71 and "booming" in 1973 had by 1976 begun closing loss-making shops. The Green's camera firm bought over in 1973 was sold off in 1976 £1.7 million cash after losing £700,000 the previous year.

And Rymans office equipment, profit-winner, forecast as managed to lose £1 million in 1976.

demand for opening The the of the books of the Burton group to elected trade union committees is thus one which is relevant to a wide range of workers both in shops and factories. workers are being mada replundant example Hudson Road in the garment factory. The local union leaders and shop single figures under Phase 3. This a definite figure-and means wage cuts in Phase 2 at the Special means essentially another year of TUC last June. the 4½% limit of Phase 2.

despite rigid In the meantime. curbs there has been a never

CANNOT ACCEPI

pay ending inflationary spiral, and there that the govern- are now record levels of unempioy- ment cannot accept a deal with no figure and remain in office. But he confusion COnSCOTAY

SAVE THE GOVERNMENT

biank cheque from the TGWU Conference behind him.

Talk of enforcing the 12-month The notion that wage controls rule is designed to block discussion "save could the Labour essential policy for defence ment" has been shot to ribbons as standards-continuous furious thousands falling living standards under witheld with rising prices through a Callaghan, their support at the NALGO and COHSE conferences shackling another 885,000 workers to support for a Phase 3 of wage control means that a vital element in TGWU conference in the first week of July.

although the leaders of unions representing have obtamed conterence decisions or announced their intention of voting for a Phase 3, there is a substan- (400,000) and CPSA (225,000), with leaders of the NUM Office Engineers about to recommend rejection.

opposing a Phase 3 it would mean that both Britain's biggest unions wage controls-and would rule out a workable Weekly, voice of the Labour leadership, Eyen Labour government that was not supported by is clear: a vote against Jones' "orderly return" motion at the TGWU conference is the only way of ensuring that the end of Phase 2 is the end of wage controls.

TGWU delegates were used by Jones two years ago as a spring" This time they must take the chance to torpedo board for Phase 1. plans for a vicious Phase 3.

in Labour candidates from by elections and local elections.

Callaghan And so, as tney old pretence of socialist dropped any policies, concluding a reactionary the coalition with An explicit statement that a Liberals. There is now no Labour 'slush fund' was used to bribe government to "save trade unionists as well as the Hat ye wants Now Chancellor employees that usual government and again stating overall wage increases held down to and distributors bankers was made this week by the giant Chrysler Corporation. While refusing to say where were made, and how payments was involved much each case. Chrysler assessed payments over the 1971-76 at $425,000 a five years ycal. corporation The international maintains ten funds in seven over- notion of "cheap foreign imports" seas countries. their routine Among explanation for the collapse of the diture is $173,000 a year to tax officials and o ties the way to employees-to smooth fact that one of the major countries easy trade, and $30,000 a year are from which suits are imported is paid to trade union representatives in six foreign countries.

campaign to open the books of the preparation for the occupation This call must be taken up along with a campaign to forge links with threatened the question of The present shop stewards com- mittee has put forward not a single perspective to save a single job in Leeds. To start the fight to save all the jobs it is essential to wage a A new pamphlet just published, available Socialist trom the workers League SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 22 June, 1977 The Special TUC, June 1976 sliding scale of wages, based on a cost of living index worked out by of trade elected unionists and housewives.

This policy was raised explicitly

TGWU

conference àt the last Thornett, when Alan delegate from the 5/293 Branch at Cowley moved resolution along these opposition to and spoke Jones. That Branch has again put down a resolution demanding a sliding scale of wages for discussion at this

BDC.

the remains only alternative to another year of under a plunging living standards third phase of wage control.

Jones

WHO GETS CHRYSLER

SLUSH?

This raises huge questions for in Chrysler. The manage- WOrKCIS carried ment has only recently through major redundancy bringing about ration- programme, of and alisation operations attacks on working conditions.

In bringing this about manage- cooperation from found wide range of trade union officials and conveners. each of whor was 'sell the jobs of their ready the bid increase members in Chrysler's profits and make "viable"- selling But perhaps they were these jobs for something of more immediate value to themselves?

Perhaps they receiving slice of Chrysler's $30,000 cake for union collaborators! Unless Chrysler are forced to full details.of their slush fund, and name the trade unionists concerned, every union official and convener must be suspect.

And of course, $30,000 is simply Chrysler admit to the amount as a result of their own spending, enquiry. Leyland slush fund scandal, and the BP revelations indicated the ways in which such illicit many under backhanders can be paid headings innocent Seemmas account books. workers must demand Chrysler immediate investigation be an carried out by an elected commit- tee of rank and file trade unionists -to hound out the paid agents of management.

SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 22 June, 1977 Angered by the ruthless obstinacy of the extreme Tory council the National Union of Teachers leadership is now acting on the massive vote for strike action and calling out City members in Oxford schools for two weeks. This may well provoke a lock- part of the out Council which will prolong and deepen the dispute throughout the Summer Since schools returned from the have been drawing from voluntary dinner time and then action against The response from the Council, Brigadier Streatfield who section of the right to make life difficult for our emergency

MANDATE

Of course it is true that extreme Tories (cynically arguing that the May local election results give them a clear mandate for cuts) are using policy decimate public services such as education But the NUT must be challenged on their argument that "the cuts Oxfordshire are not in proposed by keeping with the government's guidelines on local expenditure.

The truth is that these cuts are part of the £3000 million package of cuts legislated by the Labour government in March 1976 and endorsed by the TUC in May that year when it accepted the renewal of the Social Contract and Phase 2. When the

NUT

argues that "Oxfordshire can afford it" it fails to say that "no cuts" is not line with government policy. To fight the cuts the Lib-Lab challenge

CORTUR

government. Teachers in Oxfordshire must stand out against any reduction in the staff-pupil ratio for all ages.

IN USE

DE

OPEN CONFERENCE OF

NUT MEMBERS

Saturday 2 July Birmingham University Students Union 10.00a.m. to 5.00p,m. Called by delegations at NUT Conference in oppos- Executive ition to оп questions of wage control, union spending cuts and democracy. Further information: Convener, 23, Kenilworth Gdns., London SE18.

I INDUSTRIAL NEWS

NUT STRIKE CALL

protest move, hoping to persuade any other jobs: Oxfordshire councillors to change Teachers, trade parents, their minds. unionists from trades councils and is the kind of talk which This public service unions must other leads simply to negotiations and join together to demand that the the danger of a deal being cooked Tory councils the full open up over the summer holidays can plans and accounts to trade union by no means be ruled out.

inspection. This dispute must also be fought This will bring to light all against public spending cuts as a "reserve", funds, and commency along with profits made by school whole. Yet

NUPE

Divisional Officer, building firms and suppliers.

Stalinist George Anderson has No agreement can be made to publicly argued teachers' that end the dispute except withdrawal actions in withdrawing their volun- of all cuts-the education tary assistance with school must be protected from inflation is "threatening" his members' jobs.

and the capitalist crisis by a sliding Anderson using this as scale of public expenditure.

pretext for refusing to organise The strike call must be extended support until a "joint policy" to cover the whole of Oxfordshire.

mean nothing except that Anderson And plans must now be laid for re- himself is not prepared to put up newed action next term if victory any fight to save his members' has not been won.

-AMER

Grunwicks

(FROM FRONT PAGE)

Leading Tory Keith Joseph led a had been supported by three chorus of right wing spokesmen government ministers, Len Murray when he announced last Saturday and union General Secretaries.

that: "Here we have a further erosion

WORDS NOT ENOUGH

of the of law rule and civilised These threats must be answered norms of behaviour by members by the labour movement. Words are of the labour movement; by leading members no less than by rank and led, on Parkets. Parliament ile Marxist militants." for there to be Tory Prior James went on to demand legislation take up the fight to bring laying down maximum size of into action to crush picket lines and ensuring that this employer. pickets come only from those on strike. wretched cowardice today of the

BLACKING

Len Murrays, JacKsons Granthams, In the meantime other Tories defiance of courts and legislation.

are demanding the Solicitor General It was the threat national launch action against the strike action by the AUEW in 1974

UPW

blacking, and Grunwick that forced through the dismantling managing director George Ward is Industrial Riparions Act.

Tory talking of independent court action. Meanwhile the "anti-terrorist"

MASS ACTION

Special Patrol Group and plain clothes provocateurs were Mass action today can defeat running rot on a picket line that any court order, any injunction.

SOCIALIST

PRESS *

PAPER OF THE WORKERS SOCIALIST LEAGUE

BRITAIN

EUROPE

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CLOSED SHOP

CRUNCH

FOR N.U.J.

The strike at Northern England Newspapers, now into its third week in defence of a closed shop, has posed the sharpest possible questions for National Union the of Journalists. Already the strike has spread to London. Following every rule in the book and after every effort to avoid a strike, more than 100 members of the union at Darlington are now in agreed on, In realitv his stateme 11101 wowd lom lne

NIGHT OUT

Strikers holding out at the Trust House Forte 'Night Out' night club Birmingham steeling them- are selves for a probable sell-out as we go to press

TGWU

Regional Officer Alan Law, who has held personal control of the dispute is known to have had copy of an ACAS report on it in his possession since last Friday though he has made no move to in.

to meet tHe nongemene dI meet management. thought certain some form of deal will be imposed upon the strikers in time for Law to take a three- week holiday beginning on Thurs- day. Another ominous sign is that the strikers' union branch, the 5/35 Branch of which Law is the leader- ship, is not due to meet for the next three month dearly This would provide time for anger over a sellout to dissipate labour The movement Birmingham must prepare for the of possbility urgent call sapport if the Night Out strikers Teachers on 4,000-strong protest against cuts in Oxford last Page 11 action against one of the toughes managements in newspapers-West minster Press Journalists in the London Offic of Westminister Press who refuser to strike break on Darlington b copy the non-unior sending executives still working were sus pended without pay. The Londo office has since come out on striki picketing, and 1s with minima support from Fleet Street.

After years of backtracking or the issue the NUJ national leader.

have come up against their wors nightmare-a determined united chapel digging for the closed shop and a determined managemen which says it would rather go our of business than concede one.

CLOSED SHOP

Much more sharply than sterile debate could have done, the Darlington action has brought to the boil the issue of a closed shop for journalists. All print unions have closed shops but for years right wingers in the union have aided employers by arguing against one for all the usual spurious reasons-the freedom 01 the press and the freedom of the individual. Meanwhile the freedom of the employer to keep wages down has unchecked Westminster Press has led the campaign to help IOJ develop into a powerful anti-union force. editorial director of the group has responded to the strike by sending a letter to every journal- ist in Westminster Press (at a cost to the of £1,500) witch- company hunting Darlington and attempting Sow doubts about whether fight on the issue would succeed.

The letter sent was addresses of most journalists, a well tried technique Leyland for which started off as a polite gesture, has and the All 106 journalists are actively picketing and there are no signs of But if the dispute is to be won be held this Thursday (June 23) of the Printing Industries Committee of the TUC to persuade them to organised a f2 a head levy, Office and Press Association in an

SYMPATHY ACTION

chapel will meet in a little over tro weeks when sympathy strikes will being made to get speakers to ai Editorial Director Herbert, =bo oppo the right to to newspapers" (except employes) battles of this kind can be long and the print unions i this strike is to be won.

WITCH-HUNTERS

Page 12

BID TO SPLIT

COWLEY

WORKFORCE

Workers leave the Cowley Assembly Plant were removed by the credentials Yet another massive witch- District Oxford and the free rein to was given Committee "reorganise" the TGWU within the Cowley Assembly Plant. Plant by a right revealed at the Their proposals, wing TGWU bureaucracy des- June meeting of the District Com- perate to attack militants who called for the creation of a mittee, resist their policies. new TGWU Branch for the tactory..

MONTHLY

and working conditions and their inab- should meet only monthly, lity to win support among workers premises; it would have its for their line of collaboration with constitution drafted by Buckle and mance E wing to deliberately split the trade elected by was clear: either The objective the existing 5/293 Branch (set up in fresh attack on trade unionism is a " after the the 1974 "reorganisation' TGWU Region 5 inquiry report on Alan Thornett) victimisation would be broken up; or the bulk of nition from four shop stewards last the members would be taken out, leaving an empty shell. These moves are the culmination.

two-week strike during of a general pian worked out in the aftermath of the December 1975

TGWU

plant Buckle David and was publicly elections when the right wing Parsons Reg convener voted out, with Frank Corti elected supported management. Thornett and Alan The Region 5 report, published

ALLAY

the chairman. Abandoning 9 months after the victimisations, even pretence of democratic procedures, was accompanied by two Regional wing set out regain Committee decisions: the stewards' the right £3000

FUND

£134.15 has arrived in the office since the last issue of Socialist Press bringing the total of our £3,000 fund received to date to £901.65. Latest £12.50; Oxford donations include:Banbury £10; Cowley £51.80; CK £5; IS £15; Hull £2.10; London £5; University booksale Oxford £30.50. are to reach the £3,000 target by October 1, when we launch If we the weekly Socialist Press, we will have to step up our efforts and make sure that more money comes in each week.

fund' must be maintained. The June At the same time the monthly fund stands at £263.87, a long way short of our £600 target.

All readers and supporters of Socialist Press are urged to help us raise the necessary finance by sending a donation to: Socialist Press fund Drive new bralei ment. but to the Ruckle

FOUR DAYS IN THE LIFE OF DAVID BUCKLE

OXFORD DISTRICT SECRETARY, TGWU.

Persuade Cartransport drivers to Monday morning: senior steward Brian Preston still return to work-their sacked on trumped-up charges in a blatant victimisation.

drivers' transporter Monday afternoon: union branch meeting, to prevent any chance of immed- iate supporting action. Assembly Plant TGWU stewards Tuesday morning: meeting. Failed to get support for smashing existing 5/293 Branch. Plant

TGWU

stewards Body Wednesday morning: meeting. Persuade them to accept Leyland's scheme to stamp out plant bargaining and put wage negotiations into meet Jim then hands of national bureaucrats.

"caretaker secretary" of the new TGWU Branch Barson, in the Assembly Plant. Wednesday afternoon: Meeting with Parsons to arrange Thursday's mass meeting. Drop him at the plant in time barricades to protect right wing from shop to arrange floor. and Meet Cartransport drivers Wednesday evening: majority to work on, their senior steward still obtain sacked. Mass meeting in Assembly Thursday morning: "overwhelming Issue lying statement declaring Plant majority" in favour of new branch.

of shift. Mass meeting night i nursaay evenis. One and a half hours of witch-hunting produces majority for new branch, and a riot.

STeT rellsa. meetings served meeting SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 22 June, 1977

DRIVERS'

STEWARD

SACKED

Brian Preston, chairman of TGWU branch covering the car-transporter drivers taking Leyland's from the cars Cowley Plant, and senior shop steward at Cartransport Ltd., has been sacked. The only 'crime which Socialist Press can discover he has commit- ted is that he has supported mem- refused to bers he represents and toe the line of the TGWU's Oxford District Secretary, David Buckle The man who sacked him, Car- transport depot manager Bill Hillier was, until his recent promotion, a as well vice-chairman of the Oxford TW close crony of Buckle, District Committee and many years a member of the No. 5 Regional When Alan Thornett was victim- Plant, ised in Leyland's Assembly out • to winning tor last was one of the